Chemical Variability,Antioxidant and Antifungal Activities of Essential Oils and Hydrosol Extract of Calendula arvensis L. from Western Algeria

The chemical composition of the essential oils and hydrosol extract from aerial parts of Calendula arvensis L. was investigated using GC‐FID and GC/MS. Intra‐species variations of the chemical compositions of essential oils from 18 Algerian sample locations were investigated using statistical analysis. Chemical analysis allowed the identification of 53 compounds amounting to 92.3 – 98.5% with yields varied of 0.09 – 0.36% and the main compounds were zingiberenol 1 (8.7 – 29.8%), eremoligenol (4.2 – 12.5%), β‐curcumene (2.1 – 12.5%), zingiberenol 2 (4.6 – 19.8%) and (E,Z)‐farnesol (3.5 – 23.4%). The study of the chemical variability of essential oils allowed the discrimination of two main clusters confirming that there is a relation between the essential oil compositions and the harvest locations. Different concentrations of essential oil and hydrosol extract were prepared and their antioxidant activity were assessed using three methods (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl, Ferric‐Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay and β‐carotene). The results showed that hydrosol extract presented an interesting antioxidant activity. The in vitro antifungal activity of hydrosol extract produced the best antifungal inhibition against Penicillium expansum and Aspergillus niger, while, essential oil was inhibitory at relatively higher concentrations. Results showed that the treatments of pear fruits with essential oil and hydrosol extract presented a very interesting protective activity on disease severity of pears caused by P. expansum.     

Mechanistic Insights into Ameliorating Effect of Geraniol on d-Galactose Induced Memory Impairment in Rats

Geraniol (GE), an important ingredient in several essential oils, displayed pleiotropic biological activities through targeting multiple signaling cascades. In the current study, we aimed to examine the protective effect of GE on d-galactose (d-gal) induced cognitive impairment and explore the underlying mechanisms. Forty male Wistar rats (8 weeks old) were randomly categorized into 4 groups; Group I (saline?+?vehicle [edible oil]), group II (saline?+?geraniol) (100 mg/kg/day orally), group III (d-galactose) (100 mg/kg/day subcutaneously injected), and group IV (d-galactose?+?geraniol). Behavioral impairments were evaluated. Brain levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activities were estimated. The levels of inflammatory markers [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-kβ)], endoplasmic reticulum stress sensors [inositol requiring protein 1(IRE1) and protein kinase RNA–like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)], brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway were measured by ELISA. Also, hippocampal histopathological assessment and immunohistochemical analysis of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and caspase-3 were performed. Glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) mRNA expression and protein levels were assessed. GE effectively ameliorated aging-related memory impairment through increasing GSH, BDNF, Ach levels, and SOD activity. Additionally, GE treatment caused a decrease in the levels of MDA, inflammatory mediators, and ER stress sensors as well as the AchE activity together with concomitant down-regulation of GRP78 and CHOP mRNA expression. Moreover, GE improved neuronal architecture and rat's spatial memory; this is evidenced by the shortened escape latency and increased platform crossing number. Therefore, GE offers a unique pharmacological approach for aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders.

Graphical Abstract

     

Experimental infection of white-tailed deer with rinderpest virus.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) succumbed to experimental infection with virulent rinderpest (RP) virus that was also lethal to cattle and goats. The deer developed clinical signs typical of RP and died 5 and 6 days post-inoculation. Infection was confirmed by recovery of virus from blood before death, from lymph node tissue after necropsy, and demonstration of specific complement fixing antigen in those tissues. Electron micrographs of infected Vero cell cultures revealed extracellular virions and intracytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions made of randomly distributed fibrillar strands.     

Whole exome sequencing,in silico and functional studies confirm the association of the GJB2 mutation p.Cys169Tyr with deafness and suggest a role for the TMEM59 gene in the hearing process

The development of next generation sequencing techniques has facilitated the detection of mutations at an unprecedented rate. These efficient tools have been particularly beneficial for extremely heterogeneous disorders such as autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss, the most common form of genetic deafness. GJB2 mutations are the most common cause of hereditary hearing loss. Amongst them the NM_004004.5: c.506G > A (p.Cys169Tyr) mutation has been associated with varying severity of hearing loss with unclear segregation patterns. In this study, we report a large consanguineous Emirati family with severe to profound hearing loss fully segregating the GJB2 missense mutation p.Cys169Tyr. Whole exome sequencing (WES), in silico, splicing and expression analyses ruled out the implication of any other variants and confirmed the implication of the p.Cys169Tyr mutation in this deafness family. We also show preliminary murine expression analysis that suggests a link between the TMEM59 gene and the hearing process. The present study improves our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of hearing loss. It also emphasizes the significance of combining next generation sequencing approaches and segregation analyses especially in the diagnosis of disorders characterized by complex genetic heterogeneity.     

Complement Fixation Reaction for the Diagnosis of Type II Avian (Marek's) Leukosis

The present study was designed to find a complement fixation (CF) reaction for the diagnosis of type II lymphoid leukosis, to learn some of the characteristics of the CF antigen, and to investigate the development of CF antibody response to this infection. JM virus-specific antigen was demonstrated in tumorous chicken tissue, in JM virus-infected chick embryo material, in JM virus-infected chicken kidney, and in duck embryo fibroblast tissue culture by using JM virus-immune rabbit serum. This CF antigen did not show cross-reactivity with Rous sarcoma virus or with RIF-type viruses. It was partially heat-labile. The CF activity was restored at —70 C for 10 months and was resistant to intermittent freeze-thaw treatment. The CF antigen may be denatured by ethyl alcohol, but no significant deleterious effects were noted after ether or chloroform treatment. JM virus-specific CF antibody could not be demonstrated by the direct complement dilution method or by the indirect or inhibition form of the CF test in infected or immunized chicken sera.     

Morphology and evolutionary implications of the annual cycle of secretion and sperm storage in spermathecae of the salamander Ambystoma opacum (Amphibia: Ambystomatidae)

Females of the marbled salamander, Ambystoma opacum, store sperm in exocrine glands called spermathecae in the roof of the cloaca. Eggs are fertilized by sperm released from the spermathecae during oviposition. Some sperm remain in the spermathecae following oviposition, but these sperm degenerate within a month and none persists more than 6 mo after oviposition. Thus, sperm storage between successive breeding seasons does not occur. Apical secretory vaculoes are abundant during the fall mating season and contain a substance that is alcian blue+ at pH 2.5. Production of secretory vacuoles decreases markedly after oviposition, and the glands are inactive by the summer months. Ambystoma opacum is a terrestrial breeder, and some mating occurs prior to arrival at pond basins where oviposition occurs. Mating prior to arrival at the ovipository site may prolong the breeding season, leading to fitness implications for both males and females. Females have opportunities for more matings, and the possibilities for sperm competition in the spermathecae are enhanced. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.