Table of Contents | Genet. Mol. Res. 2017 (4)
Anthocyanins are flavonoids compounds that have a great therapeutic potential acting as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic agents. They are consumed through food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries as a natural alternative to synthetic dyes. However, anthocyanins are unstable depending on pH, temperature, light and oxygen variations, which led to the production of its encapsulation in nanoparticles as an alternative to increase its stability and protect them from chemical degradation for human consumption. Due to the fact that many of the beneficial properties of nanoparticles could also be harmful to human health, and the need of prior toxicological evaluation of any medicinal product, this research aims to evaluate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of anthocyanins-loaded Eudragit® L100 nanoparticles (AN). A range of AN doses were tested with a preliminary MTT assay, which allowed selecting five concentrations for comet and micronucleus assays: 0.2, 2, 20, 125 and 250 µg/mL, respectively, on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (cells without liver metabolizing enzymes) and human hepatoma cell line HepG2 (with liver metabolizing enzymes). Results showed absence of cytotoxic effect in MTT test on both cell types after 24 h of exposure. However, the nuclear division index in PBMC cells assessed by micronucleus test indicates a decrease in the cell division, after 28 h of exposure. Genotoxicity analysis showed that AN did not produce significant genotoxic effects detected in comet assay, in either cell type. However, the micronucleus test on HepG2 cells showed that at concentration of 2 µg/mL and higher, AN produced clastogenic/aneugenic effects. Under our experimental conditions and limitations, the observed cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, not previously reported in the literature, may be due to anthocyanin metabolization and related to its concentrations and time of exposure
Euterpe precatoria, popularly known as “açaí-do-amazonas”, has agronomic, technological and economic potential and has been gaining prominence with the commercialization of its fruits. The production of this açaí-do-amazonas is based on extractivism and management practices have been recommended for sustainable collection. To recommend sustainable rates of fruit collection, it is essential to have information on the genetic variability of natural populations to monitor the recruitment and population dynamics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the transferability of microsatellite loci of E. edulis species to E. precatoria to confirm the applicability of these markers in genetic studies. Eighteen microsatellite loci developed for E. edulis were analyzed using 20 individuals from two natural populations (Formoso and Novo Segredo) of E. precatoria collected at Feijó, State of Acre, Brazil. All loci (100%) were amplified, and of these, nine (50%) were polymorphic. A total of 29 alleles were found in the Novo Segredo population, and 27 alleles were found in the Formoso population, ranging from two to five alleles per locus, with a mean of three alleles per locus. The expected heterozygosity in the Formoso population varied from 0.100 to 0.668, with an average of 0.421. In the Novo Segredo population, a variation between 0.100 and 0.710, with a mean of 0.418, was found. The observed heterozygosity values ranged from 0.100 to 0.800, with averages of 0.333 and 0.267 for Formoso and Novo Segredo, respectively. This set of markers will support further studies on the molecular characterization of the natural populations of E. precatoria and assist with the recommendation of sustainable management practices and strategies for the conservation and genetic improvement of this species.
A study of intestinal helminthic parasites of domestic chickens was carried out in Tabriz city, Iran during 2016. One hundred (100) gastrointestinal samples were examined in necropsied chickens microscopically using the lactophenol and carmine-acid staining technique. The result showed a high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection. Out of 100 domestic chicken, 37 (37%) were infected by the parasite. Nematodes had the highest prevalence 25 (68%), followed by the cestodes with the prevalence of 12 (32%) in the parasitic infested birds. Nematodes especially Ascaridi agalli 9 (16 %) and Heterakis galinarum 16 (64 %) were most prevalent in the nematode infested birds. Raillietina tetragona 12 (100%) was found to be the highest in occurrence among the cestodes infested birds. No trematode was encountered among the infested birds. The average parasite burden per chicken was found to be 5.7 and majority of the species were restricted to the small and large intestine. 14 (38 %) cases of mixed infections were encountered out of the infested poultry. The study reveals that there was a high prevalence of intestinal parasites of domestic chicken in the study area. This calls for improved management and disease control to enhance their potential.