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Alkalization has been used in aquaculture to improve water quality and increase production. With its intensification, there is a demand for new alkalizing agents or the same agents but with different purities and particle sizes. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of alkalizing on the cultivation of juvenile jundiá Rhamdia quelen in a recirculation system. The juveniles were cultured to four alkalization procedures: water without alkalization, water with sodium silicate, water with sodium bicarbonate, and water with calcium carbonate. At the end of the experiment, the biomass and biomass gain of the fish grown in sodium bicarbonate water were higher than those in the environment without alkalizing. There were no differences in other performance parameters such as weight, total length, head length, weight gain, length gain, survival, Fulton, or specific growth rate. The alkalinization doubled the alkalinity and increased the water pH, with the pH of calcium carbonate having the highest value and higher stability over time. The ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate concentrations demonstrated greater nitrification efficiency in waters that received alkalinization, mainly with calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Calcium carbonate water resulted in the highest hardness due to calcium, which provided the lowest phosphate concentration. The results, associated with the ease of obtaining and the price, suggest that sodium silicate has potential to alkalize and should be further studied. Sodium bicarbonate should be utilized as an alkalizing agent in the intensive cultivation of R. quelen juveniles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop components, such as trellis systems, might affect solar radiation uptake by grapevines while others, such as rootstocks, influence the vigor of the scion. Proper management provides a suitable reproductive and vegetative balance that could influence the chemical composition of grapes. This study aimed to characterize the global phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of ‘Isabel Precoce’ grapes raised for juice, growing under different trellis systems and rootstocks, in rainy seasons, in semi-Arid conditions in Brazil. With a randomized block experimental design and split-split plots over time, the overhead trellis, lyre, and vertical shoot positioning systems and two rootstocks (‘IAC 572’ and ‘IAC 766’) in the harvest seasons of January-May, 2017 and January-May, 2018 were studied. Trellis systems, rootstocks, harvest seasons and their interactions affected the characteristics of the grapes. The treatments with equivalent responses in the seasons defined the specific characteristics of the grapes. The rootstock ‘IAC 766’ provided greater bunch weight and lower acidity to the ‘Isabel Precoce’ grapes, while ‘IAC 572’ induced higher soluble solids contents. In both seasons, there was lower variation in berry resistance to compression and polyphenol and anthocyanin contents in grapes from grapevines grown on an overhead trellis. In turn, the use of lyre provided high antioxidant activity by the ABTS●+ method in 2018. The highest antioxidant activity by the DPPH● method was due to the association of overhead trellis and ‘IAC 766’. With the use of the overhead trellis, equivalent phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity during the seasons resulted in a uniform quality.

The bacterial plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa causes disease in several globally important crops. However, some cultivars harbour reduced bacterial loads and express few symptoms. Evidence considering plant species in isolation suggests xylem structure influences cultivar susceptibility to X. fastidiosa. We test this theory more broadly by analysing high‐resolution synchrotron X‐ray computed tomography of healthy and infected plant vasculature from two taxonomic groups containing susceptible and resistant varieties: two citrus cultivars (sweet orange cv. Pera, tangor cv. Murcott) and two olive cultivars (Koroneiki, Leccino). Results found the susceptible plants had more vessels than resistant ones, which could promote within‐host pathogen spread. However, features associated with resistance were not shared by citrus and olive. While xylem vessels in resistant citrus stems had comparable diameters to those in susceptible plants, resistant olives had narrower vessels that could limit biofilm spread. And while differences among olive cultivars were not detected, results suggest greater vascular connectivity in resistant compared to susceptible citrus plants. We hypothesize that this provides alternate flow paths for sustaining hydraulic functionality under infection. In summary, this work elucidates different physiological resistance mechanisms between two taxonomic groups, while supporting the existence of an intertaxonomical metric that could speed up the identification of candidate‐resistant plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Soil animal communities include more than 40 higher-order taxa, representing over 23% of all described species. These animals have a wide range of feeding sources and contribute to several important soil functions and ecosystem services. Although many studies have assessed macroinvertebrate communities in Brazil, few of them have been published in journals and even fewer have made the data openly available for consultation and further use. As part of ongoing efforts to synthesise the global soil macrofauna communities and to increase the amount of openly-accessible data in GBIF and other repositories related to soil biodiversity, the present paper provides links to 29 soil macroinvertebrate datasets covering 42 soil fauna taxa, collected in various land-use systems in Brazil. A total of 83,085 georeferenced occurrences of these taxa are presented, based on quantitative estimates performed using a standardised sampling method commonly adopted worldwide to collect soil macrofauna populations, i.e. the TSBF (Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme) protocol. This consists of digging soil monoliths of 25 x 25 cm area, with handsorting of the macroinvertebrates visible to the naked eye from the surface litter and from within the soil, typically in the upper 0-20 cm layer (but sometimes shallower, i.e. top 0-10 cm or deeper to 0-40 cm, depending on the site). The land-use systems included anthropogenic sites managed with agricultural systems (e.g. pastures, annual and perennial crops, agroforestry), as well as planted forests and native vegetation located mostly in the southern Brazilian State of Paraná (96 sites), with a few additional sites in the neighbouring states of São Paulo (21 sites) and Santa Catarina (five sites). Important metadata on soil properties, particularly soil chemical parameters (mainly pH, C, P, Ca, K, Mg, Al contents, exchangeable acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, Base Saturation and, infrequently, total N), particle size distribution (mainly % sand, silt and clay) and, infrequently, soil moisture and bulk density, as well as on human management practices (land use and vegetation cover) are provided. These data will be particularly useful for those interested in estimating land-use change impacts on soil biodiversity and its implications for below-ground foodwebs, ecosystem functioning and ecosystem service delivery. New information Quantitative estimates are provided for 42 soil animal taxa, for two biodiversity hotspots: the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. Data are provided at the individual monolith level, representing sampling events ranging from February 2001 up to September 2016 in 122 sampling sites and over 1800 samples, for a total of 83,085 ocurrences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil structure controls soil hydraulic properties and is linked to soil aggregation processes. The aggregation processes of Oxisols are controlled mainly by clay mineralogy and biological activity. Computed microtomography (µCT) may be a tool for improving the knowledge of the hydraulic properties of these soils. Thus, this study brings an advance in the use of 3D image analysis to better comprehend the water behavior in tropical soils. In this work, three Oxisols were studied with the objective to (i) characterize the soil water retention curve (SWRC), the corresponding pore size frequency, and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat); (ii) use µCT to obtain, based on 3D images of soil structure and pore size distribution; and (iii) correlating parameters from SWRCs, Ksat, and µCT with other physical-hydric, chemical, and mineralogical attributes. Rhodic Haplustox—P1, Anionic Acrustox—P2, and Typic Hapludox—P3 were the three studied Oxisols. The differences among the SWRCs were related to the microgranular and block type's structure morphology, which modified the soil pore space. The pore size frequency was calculated from SWRCs for pores with diameters of 87 ± 2 μm in P1, 134 ± 11μm in P2, and 175 ± 18 μm in P3. Pore size distribution from µCT was determined for the range of 20–100 µm, mainly with the highest percentages: 12 ± 1.09% for P1 and 12 ± 1.4% for P2. Pore connectivity was assessed from images by calculating Euler Numbers (EN), with the differences related to the biggest pore (ENbigpore): P1 (−44,223 ± 10,096) and P2 (−44,621 ± 12,573) showed more connected pores (ENbigpore) in comparison to P3 (−11,597 ± 6935). The parameter ENbigpore was decisive in understanding the water retention and conduction processes of the studied soils. The better-connected pore space increased Ksat in P1 (220 ± 0.05 mm h−1) and P2 (189 ± 0.1 mm h−1) in comparison to P3 (20 ± 0.3 mm h−1) and modified the shape of SWRCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation agriculture is increasingly preferred to conventional methods due to its benefits in promoting more sustainable soil management. Our study aims to compare physical and morphological properties, at the microscale, of soils under long-term no tillage (NT) and minimum-tillage (MT) to adjacent 'natural' soils under long-term secondary forest (SF). Soil aggregates of c. 2 cm length were imaged by X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT). The three-dimensional (3D) images were segmented and analyzed in order to assess properties such as porosity, number of pores, degree of anisotropy, pore shape, volume classifications, Euler number for pore connectivity, and pore tortuosity. The pore architecture of soils under NT and MT, for c. 40 years, was similar to that from the SF in terms of imaged porosity, pore size, and shape distributions, as hypothesized in our study. However, we observed some important differences; for instance, SF had larger, more connected, and more complex pores, likely due to the greater biological activity. In addition, SF had more isotropic pores than NT and MT, i.e., without preferential flow paths for water redistribution. Therefore, we concluded that long-term conservation agriculture was efficient at reversing structural damage typically associated with conventional, intensive agriculture, but some large differences remain, particularly concerning the pore network complexity and connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of plant-based products has been shown to efficiently inhibit fungi-mediated diseases in agricultural crops. Here, we extracted and evaluated the composition of noni, Morinda citrifolia L., essential oil and assessed its activities against Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum in Cucumis melo L. Using in silico molecular approaches, potential interactions between the essential oil major components and S. cucurbitacearum tyrosine–tRNA ligase were predicted. Finally, we also measured the potential interference of plant physiology (the stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis) mediated by the application of the M. citrifolia essential oil. Chromatographic analysis revealed that octanoic acid (75.8%), hexanoic acid (12.8%), and isobutyl pent-4-enyl carbonate (3.1%) were the major essential oil compounds. Octanoic acid and noni essential oil, when used as preventive measures, reduce fungal mycelial growth at a concentration of 5 mg/mL without causing significant damage to the treated leaves, which reinforces their efficacies as preventive tools against S. cucurbitacearum. Molecular docking analyses predicted very stable interactions between the major essential oil constituents and S. cucurbitacearum tyrosine–tRNA ligase, suggesting the interference of these plant-based molecules upon enzyme activation. Octanoic acid and M. citrifolia essential oil at concentrations of 20 mg/mL decreased the stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis rate of melon plants, resulting in robust phytotoxicity. Collectively, our findings indicated that despite the phytotoxicity risks at higher concentrations, M. citrifolia essential oil and octanoic acid, have potential as alternative tools for the integrative management of S. cucurbitacearum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the transmissibility of F. verticillioides, in corn seeds, when inoculated in different phenological stages. The plants were inoculated with the pathogen at the following stages: V7, V9, R1, R2, R4, and R6. The experiments were conducted in pots, in a completely randomized design, with six replications. The fungus infection rate in the seeds was verified through the health test (Blotter Test). The significance of the contrast between the phenological stages and in the two experiments (rainy season and dry season), and productivity showed plant-seed transmission of F. verticillioides in all phenological stages. The PCR technique was able to reveal up to the lowest level, 1% incidence of F. verticillioides in corn seeds. There was a significant difference between the times of plant inoculation and the incidence of the fungus in the seeds. Plants inoculated in the reproductive phase transmitted F. verticillioides for seeds with the highest rate of infection, in the two experiments, in the rainy season (V7 - 48; V9 - 46; R1 - 77.33; R2 - 84; R4 - 96; R6 - 96.67; and Test - 14.67%), and dry season (V7 - 46.67; V9 - 66; R1 - 75.33; R2 - 95.33; R4 - 98; and R6 - 97.33%). In this way, the present work demonstrated that in the reproductive phenological stages R2, R4, and R6, the corn plant was more susceptible to infection with F. verticillioides, and that it also resulted in a decrease in grain productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amazonian rainforests, once thought to be pristine wilderness, are increasingly known to have been widely inhabited, modified, and managed prior to European arrival, by human populations with diverse cultural backgrounds. Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are fertile soils found throughout the Amazon Basin, created by pre‐Columbian societies with sedentary habits. Much is known about the chemistry of these soils, yet their zoology has been neglected. Hence, we characterized soil fertility, macroinvertebrate communities, and their activity at nine archeological sites in three Amazonian regions in ADEs and adjacent reference soils under native forest (young and old) and agricultural systems. We found 673 morphospecies and, despite similar richness in ADEs (385 spp.) and reference soils (399 spp.), we identified a tenacious pre‐Columbian footprint, with 49% of morphospecies found exclusively in ADEs. Termite and total macroinvertebrate abundance were higher in reference soils, while soil fertility and macroinvertebrate activity were higher in the ADEs, and associated with larger earthworm quantities and biomass. We show that ADE habitats have a unique pool of species, but that modern land use of ADEs decreases their populations, diversity, and contributions to soil functioning. These findings support the idea that humans created and sustained high‐fertility ecosystems that persist today, altering biodiversity patterns in Amazonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Viticulture & Enology / Ciência e Técnica Vitivinícola is the property of EDP Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Environmental and production factors might affect grapevine physiology. Estimating these effects is essential for planning the harvest and predicting the quality of grapes. The aim of this study was to characterize the quality and antioxidant potential of 'BRS Cora' grapes with different training systems and rootstocks in production cycles of the second half of the year under tropical conditions. The experimental design was randomized blocks with sub-subdivided plots over time. Three training systems and two rootstocks were studied in production cycles referring to the second halves of 2017 and 2018. In 2017, the grapes of plants trained with lyre and vertical shoot positioning (VSP) had the highest soluble solids and sugars contents, and in 2018, this response occurred with the overhead trellis system. There was lower variation in titratable acidity between cycles of grapevines trained with VSP and lyre, as well as in those grafted onto 'IAC 572'. In 2018, lyre with 'IAC 572' promoted higher pigment accumulation. Climatic conditions in 2017 provided a higher accumulation of polyphenols and antioxidant activity in grapes of plants trained with lyre with 'IAC 766'. The efficiency of the training system within each cycle, associated with the effect of the rootstock, resulted in differentiated responses according to climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciência Agronômica is the property of Revista Ciencia Agronomica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Periódico Tchê Química is the property of Grupo Tche Quimica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Ciencias Agricolas is the property of University of Narino, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic process linked to metastasis in many tumor types, including mammary tumors. In this study, we evaluated E-cadherin and vimentin immunolocalization in primary canine mammary carcinomas (20 cases) and their respective metastases, as well as their relationship with the core regulators SNAIL/SLUG. To assess the number of cells undergoing the process of EMT, we quantitated double-positive (E-cadherin+/vimentin+) cells using immunofluorescence, via cell counting and image analysis. In addition, SNAIL/SLUG expression was evaluated by established immunohistochemical methods. Primary tumors had significantly more E-cadherin+/vimentin+ co-expression than their paired respective lymph node or distant metastasis, respectively. Furthermore, the percentage of E-cadherin+/vimentin+ cells in grade II and III carcinomas was significantly higher than in grade I tumors. Primary tumors had significantly higher SNAIL/SLUG expression when analyzed based on the percentage of positive cells compared with their respective distant metastases in pairwise comparisons. An inverse correlation was noted between SNAIL/SLUG immunoreactivity and percentage of E-cadherin+/vimentin+ immunopositive cells in primary tumor samples when SNAIL/SLUG immunoreactivity was grouped into 2 categories (high versus low) based on percentage-positive staining. These results show a positive correlation between E-cadherin+/vimentin+ cells and higher tumor grade, establish differences between primary tumor and their respective metastases, and provide further support that EMT plays a critical role in the metastasis of canine mammary carcinoma. Furthermore, these data suggest that modulation of this process could provide greater therapeutic control and provide support for further research to determine if E-cadherin+/vimentin+ co-immunoreactivity imparts predictive value in the clinical outcome of patients with canine mammary carcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective was to estimate genetic correlations between body weight (BW), scrotal circumference and visual evaluation scores of body conformation measured at standard ages in Guzerat cattle. All measurements were performed at 205 (weaning age), 365, 450 and 550 days of age; for BW, two additional measurements (at birth and 120 days of age) were realized. The data utilized in this study were retrieved from a database of the Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders that contained information of registered Guzerat animals born between 1970 and 2013. Genetic parameters were estimated in bi‐trait analyses by using Bayesian inference. Genetic correlations between BW at 205 and 450 days of age with other traits were high and positive, whereas the correlations between visual evaluation scores with other traits were moderate. Based on correlations herein obtained, we conclude that selection based on BW results in increased visual scores and scrotal circumference, leading to improvements in productive performance and animals with best body conformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Saúde e Produção Animal (RBSPA) is the property of Revista Brasileira de Saude e Producao Animal (RBSPA) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic factor that could be associated with the induction of endothelial cell proliferation and metastasis. In this study, we evaluated VEGF gene and protein expression in canine mammary tumors (CMT), including metastatic carcinomas, to determine if there is an influence of this marker in the malignant processes and aggressiveness of CMT. We also compared VEGF protein levels with clinicopathological features. The VEGF gene and protein expression levels were evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively, in normal mammary gland samples, benign mammary tumors, nonmetastatic mammary carcinomas, and metastatic mammary carcinomas. High VEGF gene and protein levels were associated with malignant tumors compared with normal mammary glands ( p = 0.0089 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Benign tumors showed an increased VEGF protein expression compared with normal samples ( p = 0.0467). No significant differences in VEGF gene or protein levels were detected between benign and malignant tumors or between nonmetastatic and metastatic carcinomas, suggesting an absence in the correlation of VEGF with malignant processes and aggressiveness of CMT. No correlation of VEGF expression with clinical and histopathological parameters was observed, suggesting that VEGF could be important in the beginning of the mammary gland carcinogenic process and could be related to survival time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to use ?-ray computed tomography images to define the representative elementary area of the soil porosity distribution. Different textured soils from Southeast Brazil and different schemes of areas were analyzed. The image acquisition was performed in 2006 using a first generation ?-ray computed tomography system equipped with 241Am radioactive source. Consecutive increasing areas located at the center (scheme 1), the inferior (scheme 2) and superior (scheme 3) borders of the sample computed tomography image, with size areas ranging from 1.2 to 678.8 mm?, were selected. The full width at a half maximum parameter was used to describe the samples soil porosity distribution and mathematical analysis concepts were adopted to define the representative elementary area. The representative elementary areas found for the sandy soil (Geric Ferralsol) and clayey soils (Rhodic Ferralsol and Eutric Nitosol) were respectively: 514.3, 514.3 and 555.4 mm? (scheme 1); 279.5, 393.3 and 457.4 mm² (scheme 2); and 457.4, 457.4 and 457.4 mm² (scheme 3). The results confirmed that the representative elementary area were influenced by the soil texture and management. Different schemes were noticed to provide different representative elementary areas for the same soil, which suggests that this procedure was efficient to detect the heterogeneity inside the soil samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To describe the main causes and factors associated with mortality in community-dwelling older adults in a county where the public health system covers most of the population. Methods We analyzed data from an existing cross-sectional study of 2209 participants (age ≥60 years) in a city in southeast Brazil where 92% of the population is served by a public system of primary care. Over a period of 7 years, 386 participants died and were included in the sample. We assessed the impacts that dependence on others for basic activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, Geriatric Depression Scale scores, and health history have on mortality. Results The participants' mean age was 75.2 years ( SD 8.2); 51.7% of the participants were women, and 51.3% had depressive symptoms. The main causes of death were circulatory diseases (40.3%), cancer (19.8%) and respiratory diseases (13.5%). Multivariate analysis showed that, taken together, the use of more than four medications per day, smoking, lower income, older age and dependence on others for a greater number of instrumental activities of daily living predicted death in this population. Conclusions Understanding the factors that are associated with mortality can facilitate understanding, and aid in developing policies regarding primary care for the elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 804-809. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archives of Veterinary Science is the property of Archives of Veterinary Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Body composition (BC) in the elderly has been associated with diseases and mortality; however, there is a shortage of data on frailty in the elderly. Objective: To investigate the association between BC and frailty, and identify BC profiles in nonfrail, prefrail, and frail elderly people. Methods: A cross-sectional study comprising 235 elderly (142 females and 93 males) aged ≥65 years, from the city of Amparo, State of São Paulo, Brazil, was undertaken. Sociodemographic and cognitive features, comorbidities, medication, frailty, body mass index (BMI), muscle mass, fat mass, bone mass, and fat percent (%) data were evaluated. Aiming to examine the relationship between BC and frailty, the Mann--Whitney and Kruskal--Wallis nonparametric tests were applied. The statistical significance level was P<0.05. Results: The nonfrail elderly showed greater muscle mass and greater bone mass compared with the prefrail and frail ones. The frail elderly had greater fat % than the nonfrail elderly. There was a positive association between grip strength and muscle mass with bone mass (P<0.001), and a negative association between grip strength and fat % (P<0.001). Gait speed was positively associated with fat mass (P=0.038) and fat % (P=0.002). The physical activity level was negatively associated with fat % (P=0.022). The weight loss criterion was positively related to muscle mass (P<0.001), bone mass (P=0.009), fat mass (P=0.018), and BMI (P=0.003). There was a negative association between fatigue and bone mass (P=0.008). Discussion: Frailty in the elderly was characterized by a BC profile/phenotype with lower muscle mass and lower bone mass and with a higher fat %. The BMI was not effective in evaluating the relationship between BC and frailty. The importance of evaluating the fat % was verified when considering the tissue distribution in the elderly BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to evaluate the genetic divergence between lineages of quail and their crosses to the performance characteristics through multivariate analysis. Four lines of quails were used in a complete diallel system, provided training to 16 groups of progenies, four parental pure: L1, L2, L3 and L4; six genetic groups crossbred F1: G12, G13, G14, G23, G24 and G34; and six reciprocal F1 crossbred genetic groups. The variables were evaluated: mean body weight at birth, at 28, at 35 and 42 days of age; the average consumption of diet from birth to 35 and 42 days of age; feed conversion birth at 35 and 42 days of age; and the weight gain from birth to 35 and 42 days of age. The performance of genetic groups was assessed by multivariate analysis of variance and the first canonical variable, using the tests of the largest eigenvalue of Roy and Roy union-intersection for multiple comparisons. The study of genetic diversity was done by canonical variate analysis and by the optimization method of Tocher. The first three canonical variables explained 88.82% of the genetic variation between groups. The genetic divergence between the analyzed genetic groups allowed the formation of four groups: 1-L1, G12, G23, G21 and G41; 2-G13 and G31; 3-L4 and G43; 4-G32; 5-G14 and G24; 6-G42 and 7-L2, L3, identifing L4 G34 as the lineage that most influenced the formation of new groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tributyrin (TBT) is a TAG composed of three butyric acids that has beneficial effects on ulcerative colitis due to its trophic, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic and anti-carcinogenic properties. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of action of TBT supplementation in the prevention of mucosal damage in experimental colitis. Mice received either a control diet or a TBT-supplemented diet for 15 d. Colitis was induced by dextran sodium sulphate administration during the last 7 d. Mucosal damage and the activation of immune cells and cytokines were determined by histological score, flow cytometry and ELISA. Leucocyte rolling and adhesion were assessed by intravital microscopy. Oxidative stress was determined by monitoring hydroperoxide concentration and evaluating superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities. Intestinal permeability was analysed using diethylenetriaminepentaacetate acid (99mTcDTPA). Compared with the colitis group, the animals in the colitis+TBT group had reduced mucosal damage and neutrophil and eosinophil mucosal infiltration, which were associated with a higher percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg) and higher levels of transforming growth factor β and IL-10 in the lamina propria. The level of in vivo leucocyte adhesion in the colon microvasculature was reduced after TBT supplementation. A lower level of hydroperoxide and higher levels of SOD and catalase activities were associated with TBT supplementation. TBT-supplemented mice showed reduced intestinal permeability to the levels intermediate between the control and colitis groups. In conclusion, the present results show that TBT has positive effects on colonic restructuring in experimental colitis. Additionally, TBT supplementation changes the immune response by controlling inflammation and regulating the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines and Treg. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]