The Impact of Soy Isoflavones on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells Using a Global Metabolomic Approach

Despite substantial research, the understanding of the chemopreventive mechanisms of soy isoflavones remains challenging. Promising tools, such as metabolomics, can provide now a deeper insight into their biochemical mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to offer a comprehensive assessment of the metabolic alterations induced by genistein, daidzein and a soy seed extract on estrogen responsive (MCF-7) and estrogen non-responsive breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231), using a global metabolomic approach. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that all test compounds induced a biphasic effect on MCF-7 cells and only a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on MDA-MB-231 cells. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) profiling of extracellular metabolites and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling of intracellular metabolites confirmed that all test compounds shared similar metabolic mechanisms. Exposing MCF-7 cells to stimulatory concentrations of isoflavones led to increased intracellular levels of 6-phosphogluconate and ribose 5-phosphate, suggesting a possible upregulation of the pentose phosphate pathway. After exposure to inhibitory doses of isoflavones, a significant decrease in glucose uptake was observed, especially for MCF-7 cells. In MDA-MB-231 cells, the glutamine uptake was significantly restricted, leading to alterations in protein biosynthesis. Understanding the metabolomic alterations of isoflavones represents a step forward in considering soy and soy derivates as functional foods in breast cancer chemoprevention.     

Waterlogging-Stress-Responsive LncRNAs,Their Regulatory Relationships with miRNAs and Target Genes in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Low oxygen level is a phenomenon often occurring during the cucumber cultivation period. Genes involved in adaptations to stress can be regulated by non-coding RNA. The aim was the identification of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in the response to long-term waterlogging stress in two cucumber haploid lines, i.e., DH2 (waterlogging tolerant—WL-T) and DH4 (waterlogging sensitive—WL-S). Plants, at the juvenile stage, were waterlogged for 7 days (non-primed, 1xH), and after a 14-day recovery period, plants were stressed again for another 7 days (primed, 2xH). Roots were collected for high-throughput RNA sequencing. Implementation of the bioinformatic pipeline made it possible to determine specific lncRNAs for non-primed and primed plants of both accessions, highlighting differential responses to hypoxia stress. In total, 3738 lncRNA molecules were identified. The highest number (1476) of unique lncRNAs was determined for non-primed WL-S plants. Seventy-one lncRNAs were depicted as potentially being involved in acquiring tolerance to hypoxia in cucumber. Understanding the mechanism of gene regulation under long-term waterlogging by lncRNAs and their interactions with miRNAs provides sufficient information in terms of adaptation to the oxygen deprivation in cucumber. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report concerning the role of lncRNAs in the regulation of long-term waterlogging tolerance by priming application in cucumber.     

Ochratoxin A decontamination: A review

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a toxic metabolite produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium fungi. As it can contaminate a wide variety of foodstuffs, maximum permitted levels have been established by the EU and other countries. The methods currently employed to prevent OTA contamination in different commodities are reviewed. Pre-harvest strategies are the most efficient. They are aimed to reduce fungal infection by aplying good agricultural practices. During harvest, the use of clean farming equipment, mechanical damage prevention and overripe or fermented fruits discard are convenient practices. In the post-harvest, storage is the most critical phase. Environmental conditions, in particular moisture and temperature, have to be well-controlled in this stage. Detoxificating treatments and products with protecting effects against OTA toxic action are also outlined.     

Assessing the Value of a Portable Near Infrared Spectroscopy Sensor for Predicting Pork Meat Quality Traits of “Asturcelta Autochthonous Swine Breed”

Sixty-one intact meat samples from Asturcelta autochthonous swine breed were scanned in the slaughterhouse in reflectance mode. A handheld microelectromechanical system digital transform (Phazir1624, Polychromix Inc.), with a window sampling area of 0.8?×?1 cm and wavelengths ranging from 1,600 to 2,400 nm, was used. With the spectra database recorded were developed different chemometrical models assaying first and second derivatives as math treatment and standard normal variate (SNV) and multiplicative scatter correction for minimizing scattering effect. The greatest predictive capacity was achieved after applying SNV and first derivative for moisture, intramuscular fat (IMF) content, and pH parameters and second derivative for CIE L*, a*, b* colorimetric values, and the Warner–Bratzler force (instrumental texture). The coefficients of determination for calibration ranged from 0.63 to 0.89. The ratio between the standard error of the laboratory and the standard error of calibration ranged from 0.8 to 2.5 for all parameters (1.7 on average) with the exception of b and pH with ratios of 3.5 and 4.1, respectively. The statistical values obtained for the models developed to estimate IMF, CIE L*, a*, b*, moisture, and pH, displayed acceptable predictive capacity. For instrumental texture, the model could be able to discriminate among tender, medium, and hard meat in carcasses for characterization slaughter purposes.     

Effect of freezing rate on quality parameters of freeze dried soursop fruit pulp

The effect of freezing rate on the final moisture and ascorbic acid content, water solubility, wettability and color of freeze dried soursop fruit pulp treated with maltodextrin was studied. Different size ice crystals derived from distinct freezing rates origins diversity of product specific surface area that influence both water desorption and water dissolution, but in opposite manners. After a constant drying time of 6 h the moisture content of the dried samples was in the range of 8.68–13.09% being higher for higher values of freezing rate. An inverse linear dependence between initial freezing rate and final water solubility (85.75–81.51%) of freeze dried samples was also found. Faster freezing rates also affected the wetting time (0.36–1.26 min) because they produced decreasing in pore size and simultaneously increasing in capillary tortuosity of the final micro-structure of the dried samples. Freeze-dried powders were much brighter in color compared to the maltodextrin treated pulp. Among the freeze dried samples, those prepared with higher freezing rates were lighter in color.     

Reduced Photosynthetic Activity is Directly Correlated with 2-(3<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>)-benzoxazolinone Accumulation in Lettuce Leaves

2-(3H)-Benzoxazolinone (BOA) is a secondary plant metabolite previously found to inhibit plant growth and development. The phytotoxic activity of BOA has been extensively demonstrated over the last years. However, the relation of BOA phytotoxicity with BOA accumulation in plant leaves has not been thoroughly investigated. In this work, BOA phytotoxicity on photosynthesis (ΦPSII and Pn) of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Great Lakes) was studied, and these results were correlated with BOA quantities in the leaves. BOA-treated plants showed reduced photosynthesis rate 6 h after the beginning of the treatment, and the efficiency of photosystem II started to be affected 10 h after treatment. These results were correlated with an increasing concentration of BOA in leaves that starts 6 h after treatment and shows a maximum at 96 h.     

Effects of a buried cysteine-to-serine mutation on yeast triosephosphate isomerase structure and stability

All the members of the triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) family possess a cystein residue (Cys126) located near the catalytically essential Glu165. The evolutionarily conserved Cys126, however, does not seem to play a significant role in the catalytic activity. On the other hand, substitution of this residue by other amino acid residues destabilizes the dimeric enzyme, especially when Cys is replaced by Ser. In trying to assess the origin of this destabilization we have determined the crystal structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae TIM (ScTIM) at 1.86 Å resolution in the presence of PGA, which is only bound to one subunit. Comparisons of the wild type and mutant structures reveal that a change in the orientation of the Ser hydroxyl group, with respect to the Cys sulfhydryl group, leads to penetration of water molecules and apparent destabilization of residues 132–138. The latter results were confirmed by means of Molecular Dynamics, which showed that this region, in the mutated enzyme, collapses at about 70 ns.     

Evidence for Four-Component Close-Range Sex Pheromone in the Parasitic Wasp Glyptapanteles flavicoxis

Females of the parasitic wasp Glyptapanteles flavicoxis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) deposit a close-range sex pheromone from their abdominal tip that attracts conspecific males and elicits wing-fanning behavior. In this study, we isolated the pheromone components and determined their role in the males' behavior. In coupled gas chromatographic–electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) analyses of the females' body extract, four components (below GC detection) elicited strong responses from male antennae. Monitored by GC-EAD, the components were separated by flash silica gel and high-performance liquid chromatography. Y-tube olfactometer experiments with one or more components revealed that all are necessary to elicit short-range attraction and wing-fanning responses by males. These components remained below detection threshold of the mass spectrometer (∼10 pg) even when 4500 female equivalents were analyzed in a single injection, which attests to the potency of the pheromone and the insects' sensitivity to it.     

Analysis of the evaluation process of the research performance: An empirical case

Summary  In this paper we analyze the objectivity of the peer review process of research performance by research groups in the scientific and technological Valencian system, over the period 1998-2002. For that purpose, we use qualitative and quantitative indicators to assess which of them are the most important to determine a research group as excellent one, based on peer review evaluation methodology. The results show that excellence appears to be driven only by publications in SCI/SSCI and the number of sexenios, and suggest that the peer review process is not as objective as we expected.     

A conservative embedded boundary method for an inviscid compressible flow coupled with a fragmenting structure

We present an embedded boundary method for the interaction between an inviscid compressible flow and a fragmenting structure. The fluid is discretized using a finite volume method combining Lax–Friedrichs fluxes near the opening fractures, where the density and pressure can be very low, with high‐order monotonicity‐preserving fluxes elsewhere. The fragmenting structure is discretized using a discrete element method based on particles, and fragmentation results from breaking the links between particles. The fluid‐solid coupling is achieved by an embedded boundary method using a cut‐cell finite volume method that ensures exact conservation of mass, momentum, and energy in the fluid. A time explicit approach is used for the computation of the energy and momentum transfer between the solid and the fluid. The embedded boundary method ensures that the exchange of fluid and solid momentum and energy is balanced. Numerical results are presented for two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional fragmenting structures interacting with shocked flows. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.