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We described the in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of ethanol, acetone, and water extracts of beet root pomace. Total contents of phenolics (316.30-564.50 mg GAE/g of dry extract), flavonoids (316.30-564.50 mg RE/g of dry extract), betacyanins (18.78-24.18 mg/g of dry extract), and betaxanthins (11.19-22.90 mg/g of dry extract) after solid-phase extraction were determined spectrophotometrically. The antioxidant activity was determined by measuring the reducing power and DPPH scavenging activity by spectrometric method, and hydroxyl and superoxide anion radical scavenging activity by ESR spectroscopy. In general, the reducing power of all the beet root pomace extracts increased with increasing concentrations. The DPPH-free radical scavenging activity of the extracts, expressed as EC50, ranged from 0.133 mg/mL to 0.275 mg/mL. Significant correlation was observed between all phytochemical components and scavenging activity. Ethanol extract (0.5 mg/mL) completely eliminated hydroxyl radical which had been generated in Fenton system, while the same concentration of this extract scavenged 75% of superoxide anion radicals. In antibacterial tests, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus showed higher susceptibility than Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Microevolutionary processes in metallophytes established on copper enriched soils can lead to a diversity of plant species showing distinct tolerance capacities among genus. Researches about the relationship between these endangered plants and soil copper concentrations are critical in order to improve ex situ conservation methods in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (Katangan Copperbelt). The aim of the study was to test the effect of copper on the germination and root elongation of three Crotalaria species naturally occurring along a natural copper gradient. The hypothesis is that copper concentrations have different effects on germination and root elongation according to the species of Crotalaria genus. Three species were selected: Crotalaria cobalticola, Crotalaria peschiana and Crotalaria cornetii, occurring on soils with the highest to the lowest copper concentrations respectively. Germination and root elongation tests were performed in vitro (MS vitamin-enriched medium) in six copper mediums ranging from 0 to 125 µM Cu2+. No significant differences in germination percentage were observed according to the copper concentrations. Crotalaria cornetii had the lowest germination percentage. Root elongation of C. peschiana did not differ with copper concentration, but root elongation of C. cobalticola was higher at the greatest copper concentration (125 µM Cu2+). Even if C. cobalticola presented better growth at highest Cu concentrations, it appeared that C. cobalticola and C. peschiana do not require copper for their early stages of development and could thus be conserved in non-contaminated substrate. Crotalaria cornetii seemed to present a physical seed dormancy.

The antimicrobial activity of six plant extracts from Ocimum basilicum, Azadirachta indica, Eucalyptus chamadulonsis, Datura stramonium, Nerium oleander, and Allium sativum was tested for controlling Alternaria solani in vitro and in vivo. In in vitro study the leaf extracts of D. stramonium, A. indica, and A. sativum at 5% concentration caused the highest reduction of mycelial growth of A. solani (44.4, 43.3 and 42.2%, respectively), while O. basilicum at 1% and 5% concentration and N. oleander at 5% concentration caused the lowest inhibition of mycelial growth of the pathogen. In greenhouse experiments the highest reduction of disease severity was achieved by the extracts of A. sativum at 5% concentration and D. stramonium at 1% and 5% concentration. The greatest reduction of disease severity was achieved by A. sativum at 5% concentration and the smallest reduction was obtained when tomato plants were treated with O. basilicum at 1% and 5% concentration (46.1 and 45.2 %, respectively). D. stramonium and A. sativum at 5% concentration increased the fruit yield by 76.2% and 66.7% compared to the infected control. All treatments with plant extracts significantly reduced the early blight disease as well as increased the yield of tomato compared to the infected control under field conditions.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the western world. In the last three decades, fluid dynamics investigations have been an important component in the study of the cardiovascular system and CVD. A large proportion of studies have been restricted to computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling of blood flow. However, with the development of flow measurement techniques such as particle image velocimetry (PIV), and recent advances in additive manufacturing, experimental investigation of such flow systems has become of interest to validate CFD studies, testing vascular implants and using the data for therapeutic procedures. This article reviews the technical aspects of in-vitro arterial flow measurement with the focus on PIV. CAD modeling of geometries and rapid prototyping of molds has been reviewed. Different processes of casting rigid and compliant models for experimental analysis have been reviewed and the accuracy of construction of each method has been compared. A review of refractive index matching and blood mimicking flow circuits is also provided. Methodologies and results of the most influential experimental studies are compared to elucidate the benefits, accuracy and limitations of each method.

Background Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a triple hamstring semitendinosus graft is a commonly used technique for optimal hamstring function, flexion strength, and rapid recovery. In the conventional method, the end of the tendon graft is whipstitched to a suspensory loop, which reportedly can lead to graft failure due to tendon laceration or slippage. This study aims to enhance ACL fixation by introducing a novel implant device replacing conventional sutures. Methods Six initial designs were introduced, and a product design specification (PDS) chart was used to select one. The design named (Zip-Tie) was chosen based on the PDS scoring and three variants of it were prototyped and subjected to in-vitro experiments to optimize the design. The best performing variant was chosen as the final design which underwent additional validation tests. The mechanical experiments consisted of three loading steps, a preconditioning, a main cyclic, and a pull-out loading. Results The mechanical properties of the three device variants were compared, and the best performing one was selected as the final design. The final design exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to similar studies, with an average cyclic stiffness (ACS) of 37,637 ± 8,910 N/mm, average pull-out stiffness (APS) of 132.8 ± 28.9 N/mm, and cyclic elongation of 1.11 ± 0.27 mm. The load-to-failure results showed that 80% of the samples exceeded 1000 N. Conclusions The introduced novel implant device for preparing tripled semitendinosus grafts in ACL reconstruction, demonstrated superior mechanical performance compared to conventional suturing methods. The integration of friction plates and straps enhanced graft fixation and stability. These results support the potential of a new fixation approach, laying the groundwork for future in vivo studies and the exploration of optimal biocompatible materials for clinical application.

Glutamine synthetase (GS) is an essential detoxification enzyme that plays an important role in stress responses; however, little information regarding the function of this enzyme in hymenopteran insects is available. In the present study, we isolated and characterized the gene encoding GS in the Asiatic honeybee, Apis cerana cerana. Multiple alignments and a phylogenetic analysis of GS sequences showed that AccGS belongs to the GSII superfamily and clusters with invertebrate GSs. Real-time quantitative PCR data demonstrated that AccGS is expressed at all developmental stages and in all tissues, with the highest expression observed in the sixth larval instar and in the brain. Moreover, AccGS expression is highly regulated by environmental stress, including xenobiotic, temperature, and ultraviolet light stresses. A disc diffusion assay showed that the recombinant AccGS protein confers resistance to mercuric chloride (HgCl2) stress in E. coli. This suggests that AccGS may play multiple roles in early development and in environmental stress responses.

The nematicidal activity of four molecular weights (2.27 x 10**5, 3.60 x 10**5, 5.97 x 10**5, and 9.47 x 10**5 g/mol) of a biopolymer chitosan was assayed against the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, in vitro and in pot experiments. In laboratory assays, the nematode mortality was significantly influenced by exposure times and chitosan molecular weight. Low molecular weight chitosan (2.27 x 10**5 g/mol) was the most effective in killing the nematode with EC50 of 283.47 and 124.90 mg/L after 24 and 48 h of treatment, respectively. In a greenhouse bioassay, all the compounds mixed in soil at one- and five-fold concentrations of the LC50 value significantly reduced population, egg mass, and root galling of tomato seedlings compared with the untreated control. In general, the nematicidal activity of these compounds was increased dramatically with a decrease in the molecular weight. The results suggest that the chitosan at low molecular weight may serve as a natural nematicide.

We investigate the biostability of phenolic acids from a kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) seed extract using an in vitro model simulating the physicochemical (pH, temperature and bile salts) and biological (gastric and pancreatic enzymes) gastrointestinal conditions. Some of the antioxidants in the kenaf seed extract were not relatively stable in the intestinal phase of the gastrointestinal tracts. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity and total phenolic content (TPC) assays displayed similar trends as the biostability of phenolic acids, which decreased during the digestion process. The overall percentage loss of selected phenolic acids was 8.4–49.4% in the intestinal phase. For the overall in vitro digestion system, significant correlations between phenolic acids, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH) were obtained in all digestion phases with the exception of the gastric phase.

A horse suffering from an undetected hoof bone fracture was diagnosed three weeks after injury. The formation of callus tissue was detected at the fracture site. Standard orthopaedic screw application was augmented by a novel method, a combination of stem cells and plasma components. For experimental therapy, fat tissue and blood samples were collected from the patient to isolate stem cells and plasma proteins. The obtained and characterised mesenchymal stem cell population was applied to the wound area, together with an implant prepared from plasma, wrapped over the orthopaedic screw. Additionally, cells with implant were differentiated in vitro into bone tissue, to evaluate if cells could successfully produce extracellular matrix in such material. Three weeks after application, the hoof was significantly regenerated. The bone was completely rebuilt after three months. The in vitro experiment also gave positive results, with completely differentiated cells after three weeks. Our data show that enriching the standard orthopaedic material with mesenchymal stem cells adds therapeutic value to the treatment of refractory bone fractures.