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Cardiovascular disease prevention is of high priority in developed countries. Healthy eating habits including the regular intake of an antithrombotic diet (fruit and vegetables) may contribute to prevention. Platelet function is a critical factor in arterial thrombosis and the effect strawberries have is still unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to systematically examine the action of strawberries in preventing platelet activation and thrombus formation. Strawberry extract concentration-dependently (0.1-1 mg/ml) inhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP and arachidonic acid. At the same concentrations as strawberry inhibits platelet aggregation, it significantly decreased sP-selectin, sCD40L, RANTES, and IL-1β levels. The strawberry may exert significant protective effects on thromboembolic-related disorders by inhibiting platelet aggregation. Also, this suggests that antithrombotic activity may have novel anti-inflammatory effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rocket (Eruca sativa Mill.) is a green leafy vegetable that is increasingly used as an ingredient in salad. The floating system is a way to grow this crop, at high density from sowing to harvest and easy to use in relation substrate culture, and it is well known water culture can be limited by hypoxia. Few studies have examined the use of peroxides or peracetic acid in nutrient solutions as a source of oxygenation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the rocket grown in substrates as compared to the floating system, with a stabilized mixture of peracetic acid in the nutrient solution. The experiment was carried out in and Talca (Chile) from October to November 2008. The treatments were substrate culture perlite and composted pine bark (1:1); floating system with trays filled with the same substrate and 0, 40 and 80 mg·L-1 of stabilized peracetic acid mix (PA). The fresh and dry weight of rocket leaves at harvest we evaluated. We recorded total nutrient solution uptake; the average dissolved oxygen; pH and electrical conductivity (EC). A randomized complete block design with four replicates was conducted using Tukey's multiple range test (P < 0.05). The results suggest from 40 to 80 mg·L-1 PA applied to the nutrient solution, increases the fresh and dry weight in the rocket crop grown by floating system and may compensate this limiting factor in the growth, if it was compared with higher oxygen available substrate culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]