Fish assemblage change following the structural restoration of a degraded stream

Decades of anthropogenic pressure have harmed riverscapes throughout North America by degrading habitats and water quality and can result in the extirpation of sensitive aquatic taxa. Local stream restoration projects have increased in frequency, but monitoring is still infrequent. In 2010, Kickapoo Creek in East Central Illinois was subjected to a stream restoration project that included implementation of artificial riffles, riprap, scouring keys, and riparian vegetation. We monitored the restoration efforts for 6 years after the restoration through annual sampling efforts at restored and reference sites to determine changes in habitat and fish assemblage using standard habitat sampling and electrofishing techniques. We observed distinct temporal and spatial shifts in physico‐chemical parameters along with changes in fish community structure. Although biotic integrity remained moderately low in reference assemblages, restored reaches showed 3‐year delay in response to restoration, with biotic integrity positively linked to additional instream habitat and altered channel morphology. Larger substrate sizes, submerged terrestrial vegetation, and newly formed scour pools along with reduced siltation were found in the restored sites, in contrast to the reference sites. These changes resulted in increased species diversity, reduced number of opportunistic species and consequently an overall increase in health of fish communities. We also observed recruitment of habitat specialists and increase in species with reproductive strategies that rely on complex substrates. The results of this study highlight some of the complex dynamics driving reach‐scale restoration projects. We demonstrate the usefulness of structural restoration as a management tool to increase biotic integrity through long‐term alteration of critical habitat. The delay in the response of species to the restoration efforts emphasizes the need for long‐term continuous temporal and spatial monitoring.     

Estimation of optical properties of turbid media: experimental comparison of spatially and temporally resolved reflectance methods

We compare two methods for the optical characterization of turbid media. The estimates of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients (mu(a) and mu(')(s)) by a spatially resolved method and a time-resolved method are performed on tissue-like phantoms. Aqueous suspension of microspheres and Intralipid are used as scattering media with the addition of ink as an absorber. mu(')(s) is first measured on weakly absorbing media. The robustness of these measurements is then tested with respect to a variation of mu(a). The spatially resolved method gave more accurate estimates for mu(')(s) whereas the time-resolved method gave better results for mu(a) estimates.     

Portuguese wild mushrooms at the “pharma–nutrition” interface: Nutritional characterization and antioxidant properties

The search for foods that might improve health or reduce disease risk, has been progressively gaining interest. Mushroom could be examples of these foods, presenting the additional advantage of being recognized as a delicacy. This feature might place mushrooms in the pharma–nutrition interface. Herein, eight different mushroom species were characterized in terms of nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fat, individual sugars, fatty acids) and bioactive compounds (tocopherols, carotenoids, organic acids and phenolic compounds) with recognized antioxidant properties. These medicinal properties are often related with the antioxidant potential presented by mushroom extracts. Boletus regius was the species with the highest levels of carbohydrates (88.79 g/100 g dw) and PUFA (56.55%), bioactive compounds such as tocopherols (763.80 μg/100 g dw), citric acid (3.32 g/100 g dw) and phenolic compounds (23.49 mg/100 g dw), including two chrysin derivatives, presenting also the highest antioxidant activity. The identified bioactive compounds might be used as nutraceuticals to prevent chronic diseases related with oxidative stress. Furthermore, all tested species are edible, and could be incorporated directly in diet acting as functional foods.     

Suillus collinitus methanolic extract increases p53 expression and causes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a breast cancer cell line

In the present work, methanolic, ethanolic and boiled water extracts of Suillus collinitus were chemically characterised and submitted to an evaluation of their bioactive properties (antioxidant potential and cytotoxic activity in tumor cell lines). Phenolic acids and sugars were identified chromatographically and quantified in the methanolic and boiled water extracts, respectively. S. collinitus ethanolic extract had the highest antioxidant activity. Nevertheless, with respect to cell growth inhibition, the methanolic extract was the most potent extract, particularly in MCF-7 cells (GI(50) 25.2±0.2μg/ml). Moreover, the GI(50) concentration of this extract induced a G1 cell cycle arrest, with a concomitant decrease in the percentage of cells in the S phase. Furthermore, it caused an increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells, from 6.0±0.2% in untreated cells, to 15.3±2.0% in cells treated with the GI(50) concentration and to 16.3±2.0% in cells treated with 2×GI(50) concentration. In addition, 48h treatment with the GI(50) concentration caused a strong increase in the levels of p53, p21, and cleaved PARP, together with a decrease in Bcl-2 and XIAP. Results indicate that S. collinitus may be a promising source of bioactive compounds. Particularly, its methanolic extract appears to have a p53-mediated effect on the normal cell cycle distribution and apoptosis induction in a human breast tumor cell line.     

Functional biscuits with PUFA‐ω3 from Isochrysis galbana

BACKGROUND: Sweet biscuits, a traditional and nutritious food, can be healthy and very attractive when redesigned to be prepared with the addition of a natural product, the microalgal biomass of Isochrysis galbana. This marine microalga is recognised as a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5ω3), and is a promising ingredient in the food and feed industries. The importance of PUFA‐ω3 (an alternative to fish oils) in food, and the need to increase the daily intake of these substances to promote a healthier lifestyle is now well known. RESULTS: Traditional butter biscuits were enriched with I. galbana biomass (1% and 3%) and evaluated in terms of colour, texture and fatty acid profile, within 3 months of storage. I. galbana biscuits presented total levels of 100 mg 100 g^?1 and 320 mg 100 g^?1 of PUFA‐ω3 (EPA + DPA (docosapentaenoic acid; 22:5ω3) + DHA (docosahexaenoic acid; 22:6ω3) for 1% and 3% I. galbana, respectively. CONCLUSION: The enhancement of texture properties, the high stability of colour and texture and the good profile of polyunsaturated fatty acids, with emphasis on EPA and DHA, of the biscuits obtained, reveal a new food market niche opportunity. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Chemical composition of wild edible mushrooms and antioxidant properties of their water soluble polysaccharidic and ethanolic fractions

Mushrooms have become attractive as functional foods and as a source of physiologically beneficial bioactive compounds. Herein, we describe and compare the chemical constituents (phenolic compounds, macronutrients, sugars, fatty acids, tocopherols and ascorbic acid) of four wild edible mushrooms widely appreciated in gastronomy: Armillaria mellea (Vahl) P. Kumm., Calocybe gambosa (Fr.) Donk, Clitocybe odora (Fr.) P. Kumm., Coprinus comatus (O.F. Müll.) Pers. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of their water soluble polysaccharidic and ethanolic fractions was studied by three different in vitro assays. C. comatus revealed the highest concentrations of sugars (43.23/100 g dry weight), PUFA (77.46%), phenolic compounds (45.02 mg/kg), tocopherols (301.03 μg/100 g) and, among all of the fractions tested, its ethanolic fraction showed the highest antioxidant activity (EC₅₀ < 2.6 mg/ml). C. odora revealed one of the highest ascorbic acid (172.65 mg/100 g) contents and its water soluble polysaccharidic fraction showed the best antioxidant properties (EC₅₀ < 3.6 mg/ml) among the polysaccharidic fractions. The studied mushrooms species could potentially be used in well-balanced diets and as a source of bioactive compounds.     

Mobility-impaired travellers and public transport: a framework to assess quality of service

As public transport (PT) services are offered directly to customers, their perceived quality will have a direct influence on the choice of the PT provider. Therefore, PT services should fit users’ needs and expectations, which should be viewed as requests for the provision of PT. Furthermore, PT authorities and operators should be required to provide accessible transportation to all users in order to allow vulnerable travellers for a safe, independent and dignified mobility. The vulnerability of mobility-impaired people requires accessibility and usability as integrated parts of PT Quality of Service (QoS). In the frame of the ACCESS2ALL project, needs and requirements of vulnerable travellers regarding PT have been identified in order to allow for defining key QoS criteria and indicators that are of critical importance to the target users. Finally, a framework to assess QoS in PT has been defined as a basis for the development of the corresponding evaluation tool to be tested and validated.     

Supercritical fluid extraction and hydrodistillation for the recovery of bioactive compounds from Lavandula viridis L’Hér

The chemical profiles of bioactive essential oil and extracts obtained by hydrodistillation (HD) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), respectively, from Lavandula viridis were compared. The SFE was performed at 40 °C and at extraction pressures of 12 or 18 MPa in two different separators. Evaluation of the essential oil and SFE extracts by GC–FID and GC–IT–MS revealed that oxygen-containing monoterpenes were the major constituents in both cases, but there were important differences between the chemical profiles produced by the different extraction techniques. More compounds were isolated by HD but higher yields were achieved by SFE. Camphor was the main component identified in the essential oil (31.59 ± 1.32%), and in extracts from the first (1.61 ± 0.34%) and second SFE separators (22.48 ± 1.49%) at 12 MPa. In contrast, the first separator SFE extract at 18 MPa (heavy compounds) was dominated by myrtenol (5.38 ± 2.04%) and camphor (4.81 ± 1.93%), whereas the second separator SFE extract (volatiles) was dominated by verbenone (13.97 ± 5.27%). The essential oil and heavy compound extracts from the first separator possessed antioxidant and anti-cholinesterase activities. Our data show that phytochemicals from the aerial parts of L. viridis could be developed as natural antioxidant and anti-cholinesterase drugs, with particular applications in the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.