Preclinical assessment of an anti-HTLV-1 heterologous DNA/MVA vaccine protocol expressing a multiepitope HBZ protein.

BACKGROUND: Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) is associated with the development of several pathologies and chronic infection in humans. The inefficiency of the available treatments and the challenge in developing a protective vaccine highlight the need to produce effective immunotherapeutic tools. The HTLV-1 basic leucine zipper (bZIP) factor (HBZ) plays an important role in the HTLV-1 persistence, conferring a survival advantage to infected cells by reducing the HTLV-1 proteins expression, allowing infected cells to evade immune surveillance, and enhancing cell proliferation leading to increased proviral load. METHODS: We have generated a recombinant Modified Virus Vaccinia Ankara (MVA-HBZ) and a plasmid DNA (pcDNA3.1(+)-HBZ) expressing a multiepitope protein based on peptides of HBZ to study the immunogenic potential of this viral-derived protein in BALB/c mice model. Mice were immunized in a prime-boost heterologous protocol and their splenocytes (T CD4+ and T CD8+) were immunophenotyped by flow cytometry and the humoral response was evaluated by ELISA using HBZ protein produced in prokaryotic vector as antigen. RESULTS: T CD4+ and T CD8+ lymphocytes cells stimulated by HBZ-peptides (HBZ42-50 and HBZ157-176) showed polyfunctional double positive responses for TNF-α/IFN-γ, and TNF-α/IL-2. Moreover, T CD8+ cells presented a tendency in the activation of effector memory cells producing granzyme B (CD44+High/CD62L-Low), and the activation of Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTLs) and cytotoxic responses in immunized mice were inferred through the production of granzyme B by effector memory T cells and the expression of CD107a by CD8+ T cells. The overall data is consistent with a directive and effector recall response, which may be able to operate actively in the elimination of HTLV-1-infected cells and, consequently, in the reduction of the proviral load. Sera from immunized mice, differently from those of control animals, showed IgG-anti-HBZ production by ELISA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the potential of the HBZ multiepitope protein expressed from plasmid DNA and a poxviral vector as candidates for therapeutic vaccine.

An overview on the current available treatment for COVID-19 and the impact of antibiotic administration during the pandemic

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has caused several problems in healthcare systems around the world, as to date, there is no effective and specific treatment against all forms of COVID-19. Currently, drugs with therapeutic potential are being tested, including antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, immunotherapy, and antibiotics. Although antibiotics have no direct effect on viral infections, they are often used against secondary bacterial infections, or even as empiric treatment to reduce viral load, infection, and replication of coronaviruses. However, there are many concerns about this therapeutic approach as it may accelerate and/or increase the long-term rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We focused this overview on exploring candidate drugs for COVID-19 therapy, including antibiotics, considering the lack of specific treatment and that it is unclear whether the widespread use of antibiotics in the treatment of COVID-19 has implications for the emergence and transmission of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

An overview on the current available treatment for COVID-19 and the impact of antibiotic administration during the pandemic.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has caused several problems in healthcare systems around the world, as to date, there is no effective and specific treatment against all forms of COVID-19. Currently, drugs with therapeutic potential are being tested, including antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, immunotherapy, and antibiotics. Although antibiotics have no direct effect on viral infections, they are often used against secondary bacterial infections, or even as empiric treatment to reduce viral load, infection, and replication of coronaviruses. However, there are many concerns about this therapeutic approach as it may accelerate and/or increase the long-term rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We focused this overview on exploring candidate drugs for COVID-19 therapy, including antibiotics, considering the lack of specific treatment and that it is unclear whether the widespread use of antibiotics in the treatment of COVID-19 has implications for the emergence and transmission of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

In vivo biocompatibility of diamond-like carbon films containing TiO2 nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

Hybrid diamond-like carbon (DLC) with incorporated titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticle coatings have low friction coefficient, high wear resistance, high hardness, biocompatibility, and high chemical stability. They could be employed to modify biomedical alloys surfaces for numerous applications in biomedical engineering. Here we investigate for the first time the in vivo inflammatory process of DLC coatings with incorporated TiO2 nanoparticles. TiO2-DLC films were grown on AISI 316 stainless-steel substrates using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The coated substrates were implanted in CF1 mice peritoneum. The in vivo cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of the samples were analyzed from macrophage lavage. Analysis in the first weeks after implantation could be helpful to evaluate the acute cytotoxicity generated after a possible inflammatory process. The in vivo results showed no inflammatory process. A significant increase in nitric oxide production on the uncoated substrates was confirmed through cytometry, and the coated substrates demonstrated biocompatibility. The presence of TiO2 nanoparticles enhanced the wound healing activity, due to their astringent and antimicrobial properties. DLC and TiO2-DLC coatings were considered biocompatible, and the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles reduced the inflammatory reactions, increasing DLC biocompatibility.

Structure and spatial distribution of the rotifer assemblages along a tropical reservoir.

The construction of reservoirs is a common practice in the world. These systems modify the hydric landscape and alter the flow of rivers, becoming lotic environments in lentic. Here we investigated the structure and spatial distribution of rotifers along a tropical reservoir. We sampled four points in the Pedra do Cavalo Reservoir, Bahia, Brazil, bimonthly, between August 2014 and June 2015. We registered more than 70 taxa distributed in 17 families, with the majority of species belonging to the Lecanidae, Brachionidae and Trichocercidae families. The species rarefaction curve did not achieve a total asymptote, indicating that species richness in the reservoir is higher than what was registered. Based in the species frequency of occurrence, we identified 48 rare species, 16 common species, five constant species and one frequent species. The highest beta diversity values were registered in riverine P1 (0.513) and intermediate P2 (0.503), although there were no significant differences between the sampling points. Despite the high abundance values in P1, P2 and P3 no significant differences were found between the studied points. Thus, this study substantially increases the knowledge on the rotifer community in the Paraguaçu River and contributes to future studies that focus on biodiversity, ecology and conservation in the Brazilian reservoir ecosystems.

Structure and spatial distribution of the rotifer assemblages along a tropical reservoir / Estrutura e distribuição espacial da comunidade de rotíferos em um reservatório tropical

The construction of reservoirs is a common practice in the world. These systems modify the hydric landscape and alter the flow of rivers, becoming lotic environments in lentic. Here we investigated the structure and spatial distribution of rotifers along a tropical reservoir. We sampled four points in the Pedra do Cavalo Reservoir, Bahia, Brazil, bimonthly, between August 2014 and June 2015. We registered more than 70 taxa distributed in 17 families, with the majority of species belonging to the Lecanidae, Brachionidae and Trichocercidae families. The species rarefaction curve did not achieve a total asymptote, indicating that species richness in the reservoir is higher than what was registered. Based in the species frequency of occurrence, we identified 48 rare species, 16 common species, five constant species and one frequent species. The highest beta diversity values were registered in riverine P1 (0.513) and intermediate P2 (0.503), although there were no significant differences between the sampling points. Despite the high abundance values in P1, P2 and P3 no significant differences were found between the studied points. Thus, this study substantially increases the knowledge on the rotifer community in the Paraguaçu River and contributes to future studies that focus on biodiversity, ecology and conservation in the Brazilian reservoir ecosystems.

A construção de reservatórios é uma prática comum no mundo. Esses sistemas modificam a paisagem hídrica e alteram o fluxo dos rios, tornando-se ambientes lóticos em lênticos. Aqui investigamos a estrutura e distribuição espacial de rotíferos ao longo de um reservatório tropical. Foram amostrados quatro pontos no Reservatório da Pedra do Cavalo, Bahia, Brasil, bimestralmente, entre agosto de 2014 e junho de 2015. Registramos mais de 70 táxons distribuídos em 17 famílias, com a maioria das espécies pertencentes às famílias Lecanidae, Brachionidae e Trichocercidae. A curva de rarefação das espécies não alcançou uma assíntota total, indicando que a riqueza de espécies no reservatório é superior à registrada. Com base na frequência de ocorrência das espécies, identificamos 48 espécies raras, 16 espécies comuns, cinco espécies constantes e uma espécie frequente. Os maiores valores de diversidade beta foram registrados no ribeirinho P1 (0,513) e no intermediário P2 (0,503), embora não houvesse diferenças significativas entre os pontos de amostragem. Apesar dos altos valores de abundância em P1, P2 e P3, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os pontos estudados. Assim, este estudo aumenta substancialmente o conhecimento sobre a comunidade de rotíferos no rio Paraguaçu e contribui para estudos futuros que enfocam biodiversidade, ecologia e conservação nos ecossistemas de reservatórios brasileiros.

Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Characteristics of Thyroid Carcinoma in the Dog.

Thyroid carcinomas are a common form of endocrine neoplasia in dogs. In the present study, we combined histopathology with immunohistochemistry (IHC) to search for the presence of oestrogen receptor alpha (ORα), Cox-2 and Ki67 in canine thyroid carcinomas. Forty-eight thyroid carcinomas were diagnosed throughout the study period. Thyroglobulin and calcitonin IHC distinguished between thyroid tumours with a follicular and medullary (C-cell) origin, respectively. IHC-based diagnosis showed that 42 (87.50%) of the cases were follicular cell carcinoma. In these cases, the follicular-compact pattern was the most frequent (n = 20/42; 47.62%) and six cases (12.5%) were medullary cell (C-cell) carcinomas. Both medullary (C-cell) and follicular carcinomas expressed Ki67 and Cox-2. No differences were observed between medullary and follicular carcinomas with respect to expression of Ki67 (P = 0.34) and Cox-2 (P = 0.9523) markers. A total of 4.17% (n = 2/48) of thyroid carcinomas showed positive nuclear labelling for ORα, suggesting that oestrogen does not directly participate in the pathogenesis of canine thyroid neoplasia.

A new species of Parapharyngodon Chatterji, 1933 (Oxyuroidea: Pharyngodonidae), parasitic in Osteocephalus taurinus (Anura: Hylidae) from Brazil.

Parapharyngodon politoedi n. sp. is described here, based on specimens found in the large intestines of Osteocephalus taurinus from the Caxiuanã National Forest, State of Pará, Brazil. The new species is assigned to Parapharyngodon based on the presence of non-embryonated eggs with sub-terminal opercula, when in the ovijector. Parapharyngodon politoedi belongs to a group of species with three pairs of cloacal papillae and differs from its congeners by morphometric aspects, such as the length of the spicule, and the combination of the following morphological characters: ovaries never encircling the oesophagus, tail shape in females, cloacal lips, sharply pointed spicule and presence of genital cone. This is the second species of nematode reported to parasitize O. taurinus and the eleventh species of Parapharyngodon from hylids in the Neotropical region.

The lupus patient with positive rheumatoid factor.

Background Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may form clusters with clinical manifestations and autoantibodies. Objective The objective of this report is to study whether SLE patients with positive rheumatoid factor (RF) have a special clinical and/or serological profile. Methods A retrospective study of 467 SLE patients seen at a single rheumatology unit was conducted. Epidemiological data (age, gender, age at disease onset, ethnic background and tobacco use), clinical data (malar rash, photosensitivity, oral ulcers, discoid lesions, serositis, glomerulonephritis, convulsions, psychosis, hemolytic anemia, leukopenia, lymphocytopenia, arthritis and hypothyroidism) and serological profile (anti-dsDNA, anti-Ro/SS-A, anti-La/SS-B, anti-RNP, anti-Sm, IgG aCL, IgM aCL, lupus anticoagulant, direct Coombs and RF) were collected. Patients with positive and negative RF were compared. Results RF was found in 24.9% of the sample. In univariate analysis, RF was positively associated with butterfly rash ( p = 0.04), anti-Ro ( p = 0.03), anti-Sm antibodies ( p = 0.01) and hypothyroidism ( p = 0.01) and negatively associated with glomerulonephritis ( p = 0.003). Logistic regression showed that only glomerulonephritis ( p = 0.03; OR = 0.45; 95% CI = 0.21-0.93) and anti-Ro ( p = 0.009; OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.24-4.57) were independent associations. Conclusion In our sample RF was associated with protection from glomerulonephritis and with higher prevalence of anti-Ro antibodies.

Treatment of real industrial wastewaters through nano-TiO2 and nano-Fe2O3 photocatalysis: case study of mining and kraft pulp mill effluents.

High quantities of industrial wastewaters containing a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants are being directly discharged into the environment, sometimes without proper treatment. Nanotechnology has a tremendous potential improving the existing treatments or even develop new treatment solutions. In this study, nano-TiO2 or nano-Fe2O3 was used for the photocatalytic treatment of kraft pulp mill effluent and mining effluent. The experiments with the organic effluent lead to reduction percentages of 93.3%, 68.4% and 89.8%, for colour, aromatic compounds and chemical oxygen demand, respectively, when treated with nano-TiO2/H2O2/UV and nano-Fe2O3/H2O2/UV, at pH 3.0. Significant removal of metals from the mining effluent was recorded but only for Zn, Al and Cd, the highest removal attained with 1.0 g L-1 of nano-TiO2/UV and nano-Fe2O3/UV. Regarding the toxicity of the organic effluent to Vibrio fischeri, it was reduced with the treatments combining the oxidant and the catalyst. However, for the inorganic effluent, the best reduction was achieved using 1.0 g L-1 of catalyst. In fact, the increase in dose of the catalyst, especially for nano-TiO2, enhanced toxicity reduction. Our results have shown that the use of these NMs seemed to be more effective in the organic effluent than in metal-rich effluent.

Salinity induced effects on the growth rates and mycelia composition of basidiomycete and zygomycete fungi.

Soil salinization, as the combination of primary and secondary events, can adversely affect organisms inhabiting this compartment. In the present study, the effects of increased salinity were assessed in four species of terrestrial fungi: Lentinus sajor caju, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Rhizopus oryzae and Trametes versicolor. The mycelial growth and biochemical composition of the four fungi were determined under three exposure scenarios: 1) exposure to serial dilutions of natural seawater (SW), 2) exposure to serial concentrations of NaCl (potential surrogate of SW); and 3) exposure to serial concentrations of NaCl after a period of pre-exposure to low levels of NaCl. The toxicity of NaCl was slightly higher than that of SW, for all fungi species: the conductivities causing 50% of growth inhibition (EC50) were within 14.9 and 22.0 mScm-1 for NaCl and within 20.2 and 34.1 mScm-1 for SW. Phanerochaete chrysosporium showed to be the less sensitive species, both for NaCl and SW. Exposure to NaCl caused changes in the biochemical composition of fungi, mainly increasing the production of polysaccharides. When fungi were exposed to SW this pattern of biochemical response was not observed. Fungi pre-exposed to low levels of salinity presented higher EC50 than fungi non-pre-exposed, though 95% confidence limits overlapped, with the exception of P. chrysosporium. Pre-exposure to low levels of NaCl also induced changes in the biochemical composition of the mycelia of L. sajor caju and R. oryzae, relatively to the respective control. These results suggest that some terrestrial fungi may acquire an increased tolerance to NaCl after being pre-exposed to low levels of this salt, thus, suggesting their capacity to persist in environments that will undergo salinization. Furthermore, NaCl could be used as a protective surrogate of SW to derive safe salinity levels for soils, since it induced toxicity similar or higher than that of SW.

Histopathological and molecular effects of microplastics in Eisenia andrei Bouché.

The ocean has been assumed as the main sink of microplastics (MPs), however, soils may also receive MPs from different sources and through different pathways, which may affect the biota and their role in soil functions. To the best of our knowledge, only one study, until now, reported the effects of MPs on the survival and fitness of soil organisms (Lumbricus terrestris). In our study, epigeic earthworms, of the species E. andrei, were exposed to different concentrations of MPs (0, 62.5, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg soildw) in an OECD artificial soil and tested for reproduction, survival and growth of adults, following a standard protocol. The size of the polyethylene MPs to which earthworms were exposed ranged between 250 and 1000 µm. No significant effects were recorded on survival, number of juveniles and, in the final weight of adult earthworms after 28d of exposure, to the different concentrations of MPs. Nevertheless, FTIR-ATR of earthworms and histopathological analysis of the gut provided evidences of damages and immune system responses to MPs.

Structure and spatial distribution of the rotifer assemblages along a tropical reservoir

Abstract The construction of reservoirs is a common practice in the world. These systems modify the hydric landscape and alter the flow of rivers, becoming lotic environments in lentic. Here we investigated the structure and spatial distribution of rotifers along a tropical reservoir. We sampled four points in the Pedra do Cavalo Reservoir, Bahia, Brazil, bimonthly, between August 2014 and June 2015. We registered more than 70 taxa distributed in 17 families, with the majority of species belonging to the Lecanidae, Brachionidae and Trichocercidae families. The species rarefaction curve did not achieve a total asymptote, indicating that species richness in the reservoir is higher than what was registered. Based in the species frequency of occurrence, we identified 48 rare species, 16 common species, five constant species and one frequent species. The highest beta diversity values were registered in riverine P1 (0.513) and intermediate P2 (0.503), although there were no significant differences between the sampling points. Despite the high abundance values in P1, P2 and P3 no significant differences were found between the studied points. Thus, this study substantially increases the knowledge on the rotifer community in the Paraguaçu River and contributes to future studies that focus on biodiversity, ecology and conservation in the Brazilian reservoir ecosystems.

Resumo A construção de reservatórios é uma prática comum no mundo. Esses sistemas modificam a paisagem hídrica e alteram o fluxo dos rios, tornando-se ambientes lóticos em lênticos. Aqui investigamos a estrutura e distribuição espacial de rotíferos ao longo de um reservatório tropical. Foram amostrados quatro pontos no Reservatório da Pedra do Cavalo, Bahia, Brasil, bimestralmente, entre agosto de 2014 e junho de 2015. Registramos mais de 70 táxons distribuídos em 17 famílias, com a maioria das espécies pertencentes às famílias Lecanidae, Brachionidae e Trichocercidae. A curva de rarefação das espécies não alcançou uma assíntota total, indicando que a riqueza de espécies no reservatório é superior à registrada. Com base na frequência de ocorrência das espécies, identificamos 48 espécies raras, 16 espécies comuns, cinco espécies constantes e uma espécie frequente. Os maiores valores de diversidade beta foram registrados no ribeirinho P1 (0,513) e no intermediário P2 (0,503), embora não houvesse diferenças significativas entre os pontos de amostragem. Apesar dos altos valores de abundância em P1, P2 e P3, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os pontos estudados. Assim, este estudo aumenta substancialmente o conhecimento sobre a comunidade de rotíferos no rio Paraguaçu e contribui para estudos futuros que enfocam biodiversidade, ecologia e conservação nos ecossistemas de reservatórios brasileiros.

Effects of dietary exposure to herbicide and of the nutritive quality of contaminated food on the reproductive output of Daphnia magna.

Risk assessment of pesticides has been based on direct toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Indirect effects data are taken into account but with limitations, as it is frequently difficult to predict their real impacts in the ecosystems. In this context the main aim of this work was to assess how the exposure to the herbicide pendimethalin (Prowl(®)), under environmentally relevant concentrations, may compromise the nutritional composition of food for a relevant group of primary consumers of freshwater food webs-the daphnids, thus affecting their reproduction performance and subsequently the long-term sustainability of active populations of this grazer. Therefore, Daphnia magna individuals were chronically exposed in a clean medium to a control diet (NCF - i.e., non-contaminated green algae Raphidocelis subcapitata) and to a contaminated diet (CF - i.e., the same monoalgal culture grown in a medium enriched with pendimethalin in a concentration equivalent to the EC20 for growth inhibition of algae), during which reproductive endpoints were assessed. The algae were analysed for protein, carbohydrate and fatty acid content. The chemical composition of R. subcapitata in the CF revealed a slight decrease on total fatty acid levels, with a particular decrease of essential ω9 monounsaturated fatty acids. In contrast, the protein content was high in the CF. D. magna exposed to CF experienced a 16% reduction in reproduction, measured as the total number of offspring produced per female. Additionally, an internal pendimethalin body burden of 4.226µgg(-1) was accumulated by daphnids fed with CF. Hence, although it is difficult to discriminate the contribution of the pesticide (as a toxic agent transferred through the food web) from that of the food with a poor quality-compromised by the same pesticide, there are no doubts that, under environmentally relevant concentrations of pesticides, both pathways may compromise the populations of freshwater grazers in the long term, with consequences in the control of the primary productivity of these systems.

MRI Texture Analysis Reveals Bulbar Abnormalities in Friedreich Ataxia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Texture analysis is an image processing technique that can be used to extract parameters able to describe meaningful features of an image or ROI. Texture analysis based on the gray level co-occurrence matrix gives a second-order statistical description of the image or ROI. In this work, the co-occurrence matrix texture approach was used to extract information from brain MR images of patients with Friedreich ataxia and a control group, to see whether texture parameters were different between these groups. A longitudinal analysis was also performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients and 21 healthy controls participated in the study. Both groups had 2 sets of T1-weighted MR images obtained 1 year apart for every subject. ROIs chosen for analysis were the medulla oblongata and pons. Texture parameters were obtained for these ROIs for every subject, for the 2 sets of images. These parameters were compared longitudinally within groups and transversally between groups. RESULTS: The comparison between patients and the control group showed a significant differences for the medulla oblongata (t test, P < .05, Bonferroni-corrected) but did not show a statistically significant difference for the pons. Longitudinal comparison of images obtained 1 year apart did not show differences for either patients or for controls, in any of the analyzed structures. CONCLUSIONS: Gray level co-occurrence matrix-based texture analysis showed statistically significant differences for the medulla oblongata of patients with Friedreich ataxia compared with controls. These results highlight the medulla as an important site of damage in Friedreich ataxia.

Reduction of Toxoplasma gondii Development Due to Inhibition of Parasite Antioxidant Enzymes by a Dinuclear Iron(III) Compound.

Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, is an obligate intracellular protozoan that can infect a wide range of vertebrate cells. Here, we describe the cytotoxic effects of the dinuclear iron compound [Fe(HPCINOL)(SO4)]2-µ-oxo, in which HPCINOL is the ligand 1-(bis-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-amino)-3-chloropropan-2-ol, on T. gondii infecting LLC-MK2 host cells. This compound was not toxic to LLC-MK2 cells at concentrations of up to 200 µM but was very active against the parasite, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 3.6 µM after 48 h of treatment. Cyst formation was observed after treatment, as indicated by the appearance of a cyst wall, Dolichos biflorus lectin staining, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy characteristics. Ultrastructural changes were also seen in T. gondii, including membrane blebs and clefts in the cytoplasm, with inclusions similar to amylopectin granules, which are typically found in bradyzoites. An analysis of the cell death pathways in the parasite revealed that the compound caused a combination of apoptosis and autophagy. Fluorescence assays demonstrated that the redox environment in the LLC-MK2 cells becomes oxidant in the presence of the iron compound. Furthermore, a reduction in superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the treated parasites and the presence of reactive oxygen species within the parasitophorous vacuoles were observed, indicating an impaired protozoan response against these radicals. These findings suggest that this compound disturbs the redox equilibrium of T. gondii, inducing cystogenesis and parasite death.

Assessing the ecotoxicity of metal nano-oxides with potential for wastewater treatment.

The rapid development of nanotechnology and the increasing use of nanomaterials (NMs) raise concern about their fate and potential effects in the environment, especially for those that could be used for remediation purposes and that will be intentionally released to the environment. Despite the remarkable emerging literature addressing the biological effects of NMs to aquatic organisms, the existing information is still scarce and contradictory. Therefore, aimed at selecting NMs for the treatment of organic and inorganic effluents, we assessed the potential toxicity of NiO (100 and 10-20 nm), Fe2O3 (≈85 × 425 nm), and TiO2 (<25 nm), to a battery of aquatic organisms: Vibrio fischeri, Raphidocelis subcapitata, Lemna minor, Daphnia magna, Brachionus plicatilis, and Artemia salina. Also a mutagenic test was performed with two Salmonella typhimurium strains. Suspensions of each NM, prepared with the different test media, were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and eletrophoretic light scattering (ELS). For the assays with marine species, no toxicity was observed for all the compounds. In opposite, statistically significant effects were produced on all freshwater species, being D. magna the most sensitive organism. Based on the results of this study, the tested NMs can be classified in a decreasing order of toxicity NiO (100 nm) > NiO (10-20 nm) > TiO2 (<25 nm) > Fe2O3, allowing to infer that apparently Fe2O3 NMs seems to be the one with less risks for receiving aquatic systems.

Biological treatment with fungi of olive mill wastewater pre-treated by photocatalytic oxidation with nanomaterials.

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) still is a major environmental problem due to its high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total phenolic content (TPC), contributing for the high toxicity and recalcitrant nature. Several attempts have been made for developing more efficient treatment processes, but no chemical or biological approaches were found to be totally effective, especially in terms of toxicity reduction. In this context, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the treatability of OMW by the combination of photocatalytic oxidation, using two nanomaterials as catalysts (TiO2 and Fe2O3), with biological degradation by fungi (Pleurotus sajor caju and Phanerochaete chrysosporium). Photocatalytic oxidation was carried out using different systems, nano-TiO2/UV, nano-Fe2O3/UV, nano-TiO2/H2O2/UV and nano-Fe2O3/H2O2/UV. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed through color (465nm), aromatics (270nm), COD and TPC reductions, as well as by the decrease in toxicity using the bacterium Vibrio fischeri. The chemical treatment with the system nano-TiO2/H2O2/UV promoted 43%, 14%, 38% and 31% reductions in color, aromatics content, COD and TPC, respectively. However no toxicity reduction was observed. The combination with a biological treatment increased the reduction of COD and TPC as well as a reduction in toxicity. The treatment with P. chrysosporium promoted the highest reduction in toxicity, but P. sajor caju was responsible for the best reduction in COD and TPC. However, the biological treatment was more effective when no hydrogen peroxide was used in the pre-treatment.

Antioxidative peptides: trends and perspectives for future research.

In recent years, much attention has been given to dietary antioxidants, especially polyphenols. Several peptides derived from protein molecules have also been found to show antioxidant capacity along with other biological properties and thus there is an increasing interest in these compounds as health promoters. This review summarizes and discusses the main sources of antioxidative peptides with focus on food-derived peptides (animal, plant and marine sources), methods of preparation, antioxidant capacity evaluation as well as their proposed mechanisms of action. A discussion of the potential health effects and comments on the different applications for these antioxidants and their potential research interest are also subject of this review.