Desempenho e parâmetros séricos de ratos alimentados com dietas contendo soja integral crua / Performance and serum parameters of rats fed on diets containing raw full-fat soybeans

O trabalho objetivou avaliar o efeito da substituição da proteína da clara de ovo por proteína de soja crua na dieta de ratos em crescimento sobre o ganho de peso, consumo de ração, eficiência alimentar e parâmetros séricos (proteínas totais, albumina, aminotransferases, uréia, creatinina e amilase pancreática), visando estabelecer limites biologicamente seguros para inclusão de soja crua na dieta dos animais por períodos de curta duração. Foram utilizados 24 ratos divididos aleatoriamente em seis grupos de quatro animais e alimentados com dietas contendo cinco percentuais de substituição de proteína da clara de ovo por proteína de soja (0, 25, 50, 75 e 100%) e um grupo com dieta aprotéica. Os animais foram mantidos por 10 dias com fornecimento de água e alimento ad libitum. Os resultados obtidos revelaram que não houve diferença significativa no consumo entre os tratamentos testados. O ganho de peso e a eficiência alimentar observados no tratamento com 25% de substituição foram equivalentes aos obtidos com clara do ovo como única fonte de proteína. Albumina sérica, aminotransferases e creatinina não foram afetadas pelo aumento do percentual de soja crua, mas houve aumento da concentração de uréia no soro a partir de 50% de substituição. Proteínas totais e amilase pancreática sérica foram afetadas pela proteína da soja crua somente acima de 75% de substituição. Análises de regressão demonstraram que a substituição da proteína da clara de ovo por proteína de soja crua em até 30% foi inócua para o desempenho e parâmetros séricos de ratos em crescimento.

This work aimed to evaluate the replacement of egg white protein for raw soybean protein in diets for weaned rats on feed intake, body weight gain, feed efficiency and serum parameters (total protein,albumin, aminotransferases, urea, creatinine and pancreatic amylase). Twenty four weaned rats were randomly assigned to six groups of four animals which were fed diets containing five percentages of soybean protein (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%), plus a non-proteic diet group. Animals were kept for 10 days with food and water ad libitum. Results showed that feed intake did not differ significantly among treatments tested. Body weight gain and feed efficiency of rats treated with 25% substitution diets did not differ from the control group. Serum albumin, aminotransferases and creatinine were not affected by increased amounts of soybean in rations, whilst serum urea was affected by inclusion of soybean in diets in values equal or above 50%. Total protein and pancreatic amylase were affected when soybean was present at 75% or more. Regression analysis showed that egg white protein replacement by soybean protein at up to 30% did not affect the tested traits of the growing rats.

Effect of proteins from the red seaweed Hypnea musciformis (Wulfen) Lamouroux on the growth of human pathogen yeasts

A protein fraction, rich in lectin, obtained from the red seaweed Hypnea musciformis by precipitation with ammonium sulfate (F40/70) was screened for chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase activity and assessed for antifungal potential against the human pathogen yeasts Candida albicans and C. guilliermondii. The F40/70 fraction showed chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase enzymes, with specific activities of 276.43 and 1880.7 Units.mg -1 protein, respectively. It was capable of inhibiting the growth of C. guilliermondii at the concentrations of 45, 100 and 450 æg protein.ml -1 but it showed only a discrete inhibition against C. albicans irrespective of the tested concentrations. The inhibitory action was shown to be fungistatic and the presence of the glycoprotein fetuin, for which the lectin in the fraction had affinity, abolished the antifungal action. The complete growth recovery following fetuin treatment indicated that chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase were not involved in the growth inhibition of these yeasts.

Uma fração protéica, rica em lectina, obtida por precipitação com sulfato de amônia (F40/70), da alga marinha vermelha Hypnea musciformis foi avaliada quanto à presença de atividade quitinásica e beta-1,3-glucanásica e potencial antifúngico contra as leveduras patogênicas Candida albicans e C. guilliermondii. A fração F40/70 mostrou ambas as atividades enzimáticas, com atividades específicas de 276,43 e 1880,7 Unidades.mg-1 proteína, respectivamente. Essa fração foi capaz de inibir de forma significativa o crescimento da levedura C. guilliermondii nas concentrações de 45, 100 e 450 æg proteína.ml -1 porém mostrou apenas uma discreta ação contra C. albicans, independente das concentrações testadas. A ação inibitória foi fungistática e a presença da glicoproteína fetuína, para a qual a lectina na fração tem afinidade, aboliu a ação antifúngica. A recuperação completa do crescimento das leveduras após tratamento com fetuína indicou que as atividades quitinásica e beta-1,3-glucanásica não estão envolvidas na inibição do crescimento dessas leveduras.

Latex constituents from Calotropis procera (R. Br.) display toxicity upon egg hatching and larvae of Aedes aegypti (Linn.)

Calotropis procera R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae) is a well-known medicinal plant with leaves, roots, and bark being exploited by popular medicine to fight many human and animal diseases. This work deals with the fractionation of the crude latex produced by the green parts of the plant and aims to evaluate its toxic effects upon egg hatching and larval development of Aedes aegypti. The whole latex was shown to cause 100 percent mortality of 3rd instars within 5 min. It was fractionated into water-soluble dialyzable (DF) and non-dialyzable (NDF) rubber-free materials. Both fractions were partially effective to prevent egg hatching and most of individuals growing under experimental conditions died before reaching 2nd instars or stayed in 1st instars. Besides, the fractions were very toxic to 3rd instars causing 100 percent mortality within 24 h. When both fractions were submitted to heat-treatment the toxic effects were diminished considerably suggesting low thermostability of the toxic compounds. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of both fractions and their newly fractionated peaks obtained through ion exchange chromatography or desalting attested the presence of proteins in both materials. When submitted to protease digestion prior to larvicidal assays NDF lost most of its toxicity but DF was still strongly active. It may be possible that the highly toxic effects of the whole latex from C. procera upon egg hatching and larvae development should be at least in part due to its protein content found in NDF. However the toxicity seems also to involve non protein molecules present in DF.

Larvicidal activity of the essential oil from Lippia sidoides cham. against Aedes aegypti linn

The aim of this work was to study the larvicidal activity of Lippia sidoides essential oil against Aedes aegypti larvae. The essential oil and its hydrolate (saturated solution of essential oil in water) were obtained by vapor extraction and their chemical composition determined by GL-chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy. Bioassays were run with the essential oil, pure and diluted hydrolate and with their main constituents thymol and carvacrol. The results obtained showed that L. sidoides essential oil and its hydrolate have larvicidal action against the mosquito A. aegypti, causing an almost instantaneous mortality. Thymol, an alkylated phenol derivative and one of the major components of L. sidoides essential oil, was identified as the active principle responsible for the larvicidal action, causing 100 percent larval mortality at the lowest tested concentration of 0.017 percent (w/v). These results suggest that the essential oil of L. sidoides is promising as larvicide against A. aegypti and could be useful in the search of newer, more selective, and biodegradable larvicidal natural compounds to be used in official combat programs and at home