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Cottonseed hulls are co-product of agribusiness that can be used in beef cattle rations, decreasing the cost of feed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different cottonseed hull levels, display and ageing times on visual and sensorial meat acceptability. Longissimus thoracis muscle from 30 crossbred young bulls finished on three high-grain diets (210, 270 or 330 g/kg of cottonseed hulls on dry matter, respectively) were visually evaluated during 10 days of display by 37 appraisers. Tenderness, flavour and overall acceptability from the three diets and three ageing times (1, 7 and 14 days) were evaluated by 120 consumers. On the visual study, time of display (P⩽0.001) was a more significant factor than diet. Cottonseed hull level had no effect on sensorial analyses, with tenderness acceptability improving with ageing time (P⩽0.001). Results indicate the possibility of using the three studied levels of cottonseed without damaging consumer meat acceptability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Plant extracts and essential oils can be alternative products to antibiotics, because several plants produce secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties. Additionally, they may act on the olfactory system, which sends signals to the central nervous system releasing endorphins that may affect the feeling of an animal's welfare while altering an animal's temperament. This study was conducted to evaluate the animal temperament of 40 young crossbred bulls (one-half Brown Swiss and one-half Nellore) 10 ± 2.2 mo old with an average BW of 219 ± 11.7 kg. Young bulls were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 diets: control, which had no clove or cinnamon; clove leaf included to supply 3,500 mg/animal per day; clove leaf included to supply 7,000 mg/animal per day; essential oil of leaf cinnamon to supply 3,500 mg/animal per day; or essential oil of leaf cinnamon to supply 7,000 mg/animal per day. The animal temperament was evaluated by calculating the chute score, exit score, and temperament score for periods (each 28 d during 6 periods) and among diets. The data were submitted to an ANOVA using GLM procedures with SAS version 9.0. The diet and period were considered fixed effects, whereas the animals were considered a random effect. Differences between means were evaluated using a Tukey test of 5% of significance. The addition of clove or cinnamon essential oils did not alter (P > 0.05) animal temperament. The analysis of temperament score (P = 0.55), chute score (P = 0.71), and exit score (P = 0.06) did not show significant differences among the diets. The exit score was similar among the 6 periods (1.57, 1.80, 2.98, 2.02, 2.73, and 2.66, respectively); however, chute score and temperament score were greater (P < 0.001) in the first period compared with other periods. The values for chute score were 1.85, 1.40, 1.35, 1.33, 1.20, 1.17, respectively, and the values for temperament score were 2.31, 1.81, 1.67, 1.69, 1.50, and 1.56, respectively, for periods 1 to 6. The results of this study suggest that clove and cinnamon essential oils can be added as an additive in high-grain finished diets without changing the animal temperament. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite materials have gained significant attention owing to the synergistic effects of their constituent materials, thereby facilitating their utilization in new applications or in improving the existing ones. In this study, a composite based on nickel phthalocyanine (NiTsPc), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs), and carbon nanotubes (CNT) was developed and subsequently immobilized on a pyrolytic graphite electrode (PGE). The PGE/NiTsPc-ZnONPs-CNT was identified as a selective catalytic hybrid system for detection of neurotransmitter dopamine (DA). The electrochemical and morphological characterizations were conducted using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Chronoamperometry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used to detect DA and detection limits of 24 nM and 7.0 nM was found, respectively. In addition, the effects of some possible DA interferents, such as ascorbic acid, uric acid, and serotonin, on DA response were evaluated. Their presence did not show significant variations in the DA electrochemical response. The high specificity and sensitivity of PGE/NiTsPc-ZnONPs-CNT for DA enabled its direct detection in human serum without sample pretreatment as well as in DA-enriched serum samples, whose recovery levels were close to 100%, thereby confirming the effectiveness of the proposed method. In general, PGE/NiTsPc-ZnONPs-CNT is a promising candidate for future applications in clinical diagnosis., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study presents a new polymeric and multielectronic system, the poly-Alizarin Red S (PARS), obtained from the electropolymerization of Alizarin Red S (ARS) dye on an edge-plane pyrolytic graphite electrode (EPPGE) surface. During EPPGE/PARS electrochemical characterization, we identified seven stable and reversible redox peaks in acidic medium (0.10 mol L -1 , pH 1.62 KH 2 PO 4 ), which indicated its mechanisms underlying electropolymerization and electrochemical behavior. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to use an EPPGE/PARS electrode to detect oxandrolone (OXA) in artificial urine, where PARS acts as a synthetic receptor for OXA. The interactions of OXA with EPPGE/PARS as well as the properties of PARS were investigated using density functional theory (DFT). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize EPPGE/PARS, and it was found that the PARS polymer formed a semi-globular phase on the EPPGE surface. The limit of detection for OXA found by the sensor was close to 0.50 nmol L -1 , with a recovery rate of approximately 100% in artificial urine. In addition to the application proposed in this study, EPPGE/PARS is a low-cost product that could be applied in several devices and processes, such as supercapacitors and electrocatalysis., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nanocomposite materials have been proposed to enhance the properties of different materials. In this study, palygorskite (Pal) clay is proposed as a support matrix for silver nanoparticles stabilised with cashew gum (Anacardium occidentale L.) (AgNPs-CG), producing the Pal/AgNPs-CG nanocomposite, whose bactericidal activity was studied. AgNPs-CG was synthesised using a green method in which CG acted as a reducing and stabilising agent for these nanostructures. AgNPs-CGs were subsequently characterised then adsorbed to the Pal surface, which was previously treated to remove impurities such as quartz. Pal and Pal/AgNPs-CG were characterised by X-ray diffraction, specific surface area, thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The antibacterial activity assay by the direct contact method showed that the synergistic effect of the combination of AgNPs-CG and Pal increased the bactericidal effect of the nanomaterial compared with the AgNPs-CG activity, reaching a percentage inhibition of up to 70.2% against E. coli and 85.3% against S. aureus. Nanocomposite atoxicity was demonstrated by the Artemia Salina model. Thus, the Pal/AgNPs-CG nanocomposite emerges as a nanomaterial with potential antibacterial applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The great interest in compounds that present antioxidant capacity has generating the urgent need for analytical methods that could determine the antioxidant potential of these sources. A method based on generation of reactive oxygen species in water from catalyst composed of palygorskita-TiO 2 and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs/TiO 2 -PAL) was developed and applied to antioxidant assays. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using silver nitrate solution, sodium borohydride reducing agent and Caraia gum as stabilizing agent. Incorporation of AgNPs into the previously synthesized TiO 2 -PAL was performed. The catalyst AgNPs/TiO 2 -PAL was characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The catalyst AgNPs/TiO 2 -PAL were used to perform an antioxidant activity method which consisted in monitoring the discoloration of acid yellow 73 dye (AY73) in the presence of gallic acid antioxidant comparing to the dye discoloration in the absence of the antioxidant. A microplate reader was used to measure the discoloration of the aqueous solutions of AY73, irradiated by UV light for 60 min. The effect of reactive oxygen species generated by AgNPs/TiO 2 -PAL based in photocatalytic kinetics of AY73 dye was investigated. The oxidation of AY73 dye by photocatalysis in the system with AgNPs/TiO 2 -PAL catalysts was carried out mainly by the participation of O 2 ·- , HO · and 1 O 2 species, in this order of importance. The results showed that the synthesis of the AgNPs/TiO 2 -PAL catalyst was successfully carried out and the application of this material in the development of an innovative methodology for the determination of antioxidant activity was extremely promising.

There are increasing concerns regarding the risks arising from the contamination of manipulators of antineoplastic drugs promoted by occupational exposure or even in the dosage of drugs. The present work proposes the use of an electrochemical sensor based on a biopolymer extracted from the babassu coconut (Orbignya phalerata) for the determination of an antineoplastic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) drug as an alternative for the monitoring of these drugs. In order to reduce the cost of this sensor, a flexible gold electrode (FEAu) is proposed. The surface modification of FEAu was performed with the deposition of a casting film of the biopolymer extracted from the babassu mesocarp (BM) and modified with phthalic anhydride (BMPA). The electrochemical activity of the modified electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and its morphology was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The FEAu/BMPA showed a high sensitivity (8.8 μA/μmol/L) and low limit of detection (0.34 μmol/L) for the 5-FU drug in an acid medium. Electrochemical sensors developed from the babassu mesocarp may be a viable alternative for the monitoring of the 5-FU antineoplastic in pharmaceutical formulations, because in addition to being sensitive to this drug, they are constructed of a natural polymer, renewable, and abundant in nature. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, often being treated with antineoplastic drugs that have high potential for toxicity to humans and the environment, even at very low concentrations. Therefore, monitoring these drugs is of utmost importance. Among the techniques used to detect substances at low concentrations, electrochemical sensors and biosensors have been noted for their practicality and low cost. This review brings, for the first time, a simplified outline of the main electrochemical sensors and biosensors developed for the analysis of antineoplastic drugs. The drugs analyzed and the methodology used for electrochemical sensing are described, as are the techniques used for drug quantification and the analytical performance of each sensor, highlighting the limit of detection (LOD), as well as the linear range of quantification (LR) for each system. Finally, we present a technological prospection on the development and use of electrochemical sensors and biosensors in the quantification of antineoplastic drugs. A search of international patent databases revealed no patents currently submitted under this topic, suggesting this is an area to be further explored. We also show that the use of these systems has been gaining prominence in recent years, and that the quantification of antineoplastic drugs using electrochemical techniques could bring great financial and health benefits., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Cry1Ab16 is a toxin of crystalline insecticidal proteins that has been widely used in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to gain resistance to pests. For the first time, in this study, peptides derived from the immunogenic Cry1Ab16 toxin (from Bacillus thuringiensis) were immobilized as layer-by-layer (LbL) films. Given the concern about food and environmental safety, a peptide with immunogenic potential, PcL342-354C, was selected for characterization of the electrochemical, optical, and morphological properties. The results obtained by cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that the peptide have an irreversible oxidation process in electrolyte of 0.1 mol · L(-1) potassium phosphate buffer (PBS) at pH7.2. It was also observed that the electrochemical response of the peptide is governed mainly by charge transfer. In an attempt to maximize the electrochemical signal of peptide, it was intercalated with natural (agar, alginate and chitosan) or synthetic polymers (polyethylenimine (PEI) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate (PSS)). The presence of synthetic polymers on the film increased the electrochemical signal of PcL342-354C up to 100 times. Images by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) showed that the immobilized PcL342-354C formed self-assembled nanofibers with diameters ranging from 100 to 200 nm on the polymeric film. By UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) it was observed that the ITO/PEI/PSS/PcL342-354C film grows linearly up to the fifth layer, thereafter tending to saturation. X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence on the films of crystalline ITO and amorphous polypeptide phases. In general, the ITO/PEI/PSS/PcL342-354C film characterization proved that this system is an excellent candidate for applications in electrochemical sensors and other biotechnological applications for GMOs and environmental indicators., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This report details the development of thin films containing an antimicrobial peptide, specifically, dermaseptin 01 (GLWSTIKQKGKEAAIAAA-KAAGQAALGAL-NH2, [DRS 01]), and a natural polysaccharide, for a novel application in detecting the presence of Leishmania cells and maintaining anti-leishmanial activity. The peptide DRS 01 was immobilized in conjunction with natural cashew gum (CG) onto an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate using the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition technique. The LbL film ITO/CG/DRS 01, containing DRS 01 as the outer layer, was capable of detecting the presence of Leishmania cells and acting as an anti-leishmanial system. Detection was performed using cyclic voltammetry (CV) in phosphate buffer (pH7.2) in the presence of promastigote cells (0-10(7)cells/mL). The results showed a linear and inversely proportional relation between the concentration of Leishmania infantum protozoan cells and the measured current values obtained for the films, which was attributed to the effect of peptide-induced lysis of the cell membrane, and resulted in freed residues that were adsorbed on the electrode surface. With this, the paper shows a method using thin films with this new material to demonstrate the anti-leishmanial activity in vitro models of carpet-like mechanisms., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper reports the study and characterization of a new platform for practical applications, where the use of phaeophytin-b (phaeo-b), a compound derived from chlorophyll, was characterized and investigated for sensing purposes. Modified electrodes with nanostructured phaeo-b films were fabricated via the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique, where phaeo-b was assembled with cashew gum, a polysaccharide, or with poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH). The multilayer formation was investigated with UV-Vis spectroscopy by monitoring the absorption band associated to phaeo-b at approximately 410 nm, where distinct molecular interactions between the materials were verified. The morphology of the films was analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrochemical properties through redox behavior of phaeo-b were studied with cyclic voltammetry. The produced films were applied as sensors for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) detection. In terms of sensing, the cashew/phaeo-b film exhibited the most promising result, with a fast response and broad linear range upon the addition of H2O2. This approach provides a simple and inexpensive method for development of a nonenzymatic electrochemical sensor for H2O2., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Type I collagen is an abundant natural polymer with several applications in medicine as matrix to regenerate tissues. Silver nanoparticles is an important nanotechnology material with many utilities in some areas such as medicine, biology and chemistry. The present study focused on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) stabilized with type I collagen (AgNPcol) to build a nanomaterial with biological utility. Three formulations of AgNPcol were physicochemical characterized, antibacterial activity in vitro and cell viability assays were analyzed. AgNPcol was characterized by means of the following: ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic absorption analysis, transmission electron microscopy and of X-ray diffraction analysis., Results: All AgNPcol showed spherical and positive zeta potential. The AgNPcol at a molar ratio of 1:6 showed better characteristics, smaller hydrodynamic diameter (64.34 ± 16.05) and polydispersity index (0.40 ± 0.05), and higher absorbance and silver reduction efficiency (0.645 mM), when compared with the particles prepared in other mixing ratios. Furthermore, these particles showed antimicrobial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and no toxicity to the cells at the examined concentrations., Conclusions: The resulted particles exhibited favorable characteristics, including the spherical shape, diameter between 64.34 nm and 81.76 nm, positive zeta potential, antibacterial activity, and non-toxicity to the tested cells (OSCC).

Composites prepared from polyaniline (PANI) and the ceramic technology of titanium dioxide (TiO2) have been proposed, however, the interaction of these materials with greater control of molecular arrangement becomes attractive in order to achieve properties not previously described or yet the optimization of those already reported. Therefore, in this study, thin hybrid films made of polyaniline (PANI), a conductive polymer, and the technological ceramic, titanium dioxide (TiO2), were prepared by the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique. The films were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), UV-VIS spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Aiming to improve the dispersion of the ceramic in the polymer matrix, the commercial surfactant, cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), was used in the formation of the films. The best condition of deposition was found showing synergic interactions between the conjugated materials. The antibacterial activity of the PANI(TiO2)/CTAB films was studied and the obtained results suggest their use as antimicrobial coatings., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study describes the development of a green synthesis of silver nanoparticles reduced and stabilized by exuded gum from Anacardium occidentale L. and evaluates in vitro their antibacterial and cytotoxic activities. Characterization of cashew gum-based silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was carried out based on UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering analysis which revealed that the synthesized silver nanoparticles were spherical in shape, measuring about 4 nm in size with a uniform dispersal. AgNPs presented antibacterial activity, especially against Gram-negative bacteria, in concentrations where no significant cytotoxicity was observed.

The aim of the present study was to establish a relationship between the results obtained using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique for antibodies in blood serum and milk at herd level. For this purpose, 325 samples of bulk tank milk were analyzed with 4 antibody ELISAs from dairy herds with a prevalence of seropositive animals; seroprevalence was also evaluated. Data were arranged to analyze the sensitivity of the bulk tank milk test to detect herds with high risk of active infection (>65% seroprevalence) and the specificity to detect those with very few (<5%) or no (0%) seropositive animals, respectively. The sensitivity values ranged from 0.92 to 0.70 and the specificity from 0.83 to 0.54 to detect free herds (0% seroprevalence) and from 0.88 to 0.77 to detect herds with <5% of seropositive animals. In a quantitative approach, Pearson correlation coefficients, reported as a measure of linear association between herd seroprevalence and transformed optical density values recorded in bulk tank milk, ranged from 0.71 to 0.86. According to these results, the 4 antibody ELISAs would be valid tests for carrying out a herd classification program using milk samples.

We address the contribution of financial incentives linked to pay for performance (P4P) to improving the quality of care. The situation of P4P is analyzed internationally and in the distinct health services in Spain. The participation of P4P in wage compensation and the effects of the current economic crisis on these incentives is discussed. We review the results of recent studies to clarify the role of these incentive models and assess possible orientations and new proposals., (Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

We take advantage of polyelectrolyte feature exhibited by natural cashew gum (Anacardium occidentale L.) (CG), found in northeast Brazil, to employ it in the formation of electroactive nanocomposites prepared by layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. We used polyaniline unmodified (PANI) or modified with phosphonic acid (PA), PANI-PA as cationic polyelectrolyte. On the other hand, the CG or polyvinyl sulfonic (PVS) acids were used as anionic polyelectrolytes. The films were prepared with PANI or PANI-PA intercalated with CG or with PVS alternately resulting in four films with different sequences: PANI/CG PANI-PA/CG, PANI/PVS and PANI-PA/PVS, respectively. Analysis by cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the films showed that the presence of gum increases the stability of the films in acidic medium. The performance of the modified electrode of PANI-PA/CG was evaluated in electro analytical determination of dopamine (DA). The tests showed great sensitivity of the film for this analyte that was detected at 10(-5) mol L(-1).

The antimicrobial peptide dermaseptin 01 (DS 01), from the skin secretion of Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis frogs, was immobilized in nanostructured layered films in conjunction with nickel tetrasulfonated phthalocyanines (NiTsPc), widely used in electronic devices, using layer-by-layer technique. The films were used as a biosensor to detect the presence of dopamine (DA), a neurotransmitter associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, with detection limits in the order of 10(-6) mol L(-1). The use of DS 01 in LbL film generated selectivity in the detection of DA despite the presence of ascorbic acid found in biological fluids. This work is the first to report that the antimicrobial peptide and NiTsPc LbL film exhibits electroanalytical activity to DA oxidation. The selectivity in the detection of DA is a fundamental aspect for the development of electrochemical sensors with potential applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.