Chemical Composition and Lipid Fraction Characteristics of Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) Seeds Cultivated in Tunisia

The proximate composition of Aleppo pine ( Pinus halepensis Mill.) seeds cultivated in Bizerta (Tunisia) were investigated for their fatty acid composition, and their thermal and physical properties of lipid fraction. The proximate analysis of pine seeds showed the following composition (on a dry-weight basis): protein 22.7%, oil 43.3%, ash 8.3% and total carbohydrate 25.7%. Potassium, magnesium and calcium were the predominant mineral elements present in the seeds and reached, together, about 1%. Oleic and linoleic acids were the major unsaturated fatty acids (27.3 and 48.8%, respectively), while the main saturated one was palmitic acid (8.75%). Myristic, myristoleic, palmitoleic, margaric, margaroleic, stearic, linolenic, arachidic, eicosenoic, eicosadienoic, eicosatrienoic, behenic and lignoceric acids were also detected. Thermal profile of Pinus halepensis Mill. seed oil, determined by its DSC melting curve, showed that the entire liquefaction of the Aleppo pine seed oil occurs at 8°C. CieLab colour parameters ( L*, a*, b*), oxidative stability by Rancimat test and viscosity were also determined. Physico-chemical properties of the oil include: saponification number 190, peroxide value 3.18, iodine index 117, and a low acidity of 0.61%. Results suggested that the production of oil from Pinus halepensis seeds could provide a potential use in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and other non-food industries.

Quality Characteristics and Oxidative Stability of Date Seed Oil During Storage

Studies were conducted on some quality characteristics of date seed oil from two date palm cultivars ( Phoenix dactylifera L.): Deglet Nour and Allig. The following values were obtained for Deglet Nour and Allig cultivars respectively: unsaponifiable matter 8.92-7.76%, iodine value 45.49-44.08, total phenols 520.81-220.32µg/g oil, chlorophylls 0.86-0.58µg/g oil, viscosity 18.50-20.50mPa.s, refractive index 1.457-1.462, acidity 1.06-2.10mg KOH/g oil and peroxide index 16.00-25.00meq O2/100g oil. Lipid fractionation of date seed oil yielded 98.30-97.30% neutral lipids, 97.26-96.90% triglycerides, 0.25-0.18% phospholipids and 0.36-0.31% sterols. Gas-liquid chromatography revealed that the major unsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid (39.17-42.13%) while the main saturated fatty acid was lauric acid (24.34-22.56%). Date seed oil showed high medium molecular weight triglycerides (C32-C42, about 27%). Extinction coefficients at 232nm and 270nm increased slightly during 40days in oven (60°C) showing that date seed oil could be easily stored. The production of oil from date seeds provides the use of a renewable resource, and at the same time adding value to agricultural products.

ADAMTS-2 functions as anti-angiogenic and anti-tumoral molecule independently of its catalytic activity

ADAMTS-2 is a metalloproteinase that plays a key role in the processing of fibrillar procollagen precursors into mature collagen molecules by excising the amino-propeptide. We demonstrate that recombinant ADAMTS-2 is also able to reduce proliferation of endothelial cells, and to induce their retraction and detachment from the substrate resulting in apoptosis. Dephosphorylation of Erk1/2 and MLC largely precedes the ADAMTS-2 induced morphological alterations. In 3-D culture models, ADAMTS-2 strongly reduced branching of capillary-like structures formed by endothelial cells and their long-term maintenance and inhibited vessels formation in embryoid bodies (EB). Growth and vascularization of tumors formed in nude mice by HEK 293-EBNA cells expressing ADAMTS-2 were drastically reduced. A similar anti-tumoral activity was observed when using cells expressing recombinant deleted forms of ADAMTS-2, including catalytically inactive enzyme. Nucleolin, a nuclear protein also found to be associated with the cell membrane, was identified as a potential receptor mediating the antiangiogenic properties of ADAMTS-2.

Compositional, Physical, Antioxidant and Sensory Characteristics of Novel Syrup from Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

This study is a contribution to valorise date palm sap (Phoenix dactylifera L.) by elaboration of high quality syrup. Sap was concentrated by evaporation and the obtained product was characterized by its physicochemical, rheological, thermal, sensory properties and by its antioxidant activity. Syrups from date palm sap have a good nutritional value marked by high amounts of sugars (58—75 g/100 g fresh matter basis), minerals (2.1—2.6 g/100 g fresh matter basis) and phenolics (147.61—224.55 mg of ferulic acid equivalents/kg fresh weight). Syrup also presents an antioxidant activity that appears related to total phenolic content. Rheological properties indicate that syrup preserves a Newtonian behavior from 10 °C to 55 °C well modeled by Arrhenius equation. Hedonic evaluation showed that consumers’ appreciation of date palm syrup was not significantly different to the most known sap syrup: maple syrup.

Enzymatically prepared n-alkyl esters of glucuronic acid: the effect of freeze-drying conditions and hydrophobic chain length on thermal behavior

In this work, some of the physicochemical properties of enzymatically prepared n-alkyl esters of glucuronic acid are presented. Two questions are addressed. The first concerns the influence of post-purification freeze-drying conditions on octyl glucuronate thermotropic behavior. Depending on the amount of water added before freeze-drying, the alpha/beta anomeric ratio determined by (1)H NMR is affected and differences are observed in DSC thermograms probably due to polymorphism. The second question concerns the effect of hydrophobic chain length on the thermal behavior. An increase of both transition temperature and transition enthalpy is observed by increasing the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain (C8<C10<C12<C14). This kind of results can provide relevant information for the processing and the practical use of these nonionic surfactants.

The in vitro influences of neurotensin on the motility characteristics of human U373 glioblastoma cells

Astrocytic tumours are associated with dismal prognoses due to their pronounced ability to diffusely invade the brain parenchyma. Various neuropeptides, including gastrin, are able to modulate tumour astrocyte migration. While neurotensin has been shown to influence the proliferation of glioma cells and the migratory ability of a large set of other cell types, its role in glioma cell migration has never been investigated. Neurotensin-induced modifications to the motility features of human U373 glioblastoma cells therefore constitute the topic of the present study. We evidenced that three subtypes of neurotensin receptors (NTR1, NTR2 and NTR3) are expressed in U373 glioblastoma cells, at least as far as their mRNAs are concerned. Treating U373 tumour cells with 10 nM neurotensin markedly modified the morphological patterns of these cells and also profoundly altered the organization of their actin cytoskeletons. Pull-down assays revealed that neurotensin induced the activation in U373 cells of both Rac1 and Cdc42 but not RhoA. Scratch wound assays evidenced that neurotensin (0.1 and 10 nM) very significantly inhibited wound colonization by U373 cells cultured in the absence of serum. In addition, quantitative phase-contrast videomicroscopy analyses showed that neurotensin decreases the motility levels of U373 glioblastoma cells when these cells are cultured on plastic. In sharp contrast, neurotensin stimulates the motility of U373 cells when they are cultured on laminin, which is a pro-adhesive extracellular matrix component ubiquitously secreted by glioma cells. Our data thus strongly suggest that, in addition to gastrin, neurotensin is a neuropeptide capable of modulating tumour astrocyte migration into the brain parenchyma.

MT1-MMP expression promotes tumor growth and angiogenesis through an up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor expression

Membrane type 1 metalloprotease (MT1-MMP) is a transmembrane metalloprotease that plays a major role in the extracellular matrix remodeling, directly by degrading several of its components and indirectly by activating pro-MMP2. We investigated the effects of MT1-MMP overexpression on in vitro and in vivo properties of human breast adenocarcinoma MCF7 cells, which do not express MT1-MMP or MMP-2. MT1-MMP and MMP-2 cDNAs were either transfected alone or cotransfected. All clones overexpressing MT1-MMP 1) were able to activate endogenous or exogenous pro-MMP-2, 2) displayed an enhanced in vitro invasiveness through matrigel-coated filters independent of MMP-2 transfection, 3) induced the rapid development of highly vascularized tumors when injected subcutaneously in nude mice, and 4) promoted blood vessels sprouting in the rat aortic ring assay. These effects were observed in all clones overexpressing MT1-MMP regardless of MMP-2 expression levels, suggesting that the production of MMP-2 by tumor cells themselves does not play a critical role in these events. The angiogenic phenotype of MT1-MMP-producing cells was associated with an up-regulation of VEGF expression. These results emphasize the importance of MT1-MMP during tumor angiogenesis and open new opportunities for the development of anti-angiogenic strategies combining inhibitors of MT1-MMP and VEGF antagonists.

Fractionation and reconstitution experiments provide insight into the role of gluten and starch interactions in pasta quality

Commercial durum wheat (Triticum durum desf.) semolina was fractionated into starch, gluten, and water extractables. Starch surface proteins and surface lipids were removed, and two starches with manipulated granule size distributions were produced to influence starch properties, affecting its interaction with other semolina components. Reconstituted spaghetti was made with untreated (control) or treated starches. The pasta made from the starting semolina material had lower cooking time and was of lower quality than the samples made from reconstituted material. This was not due to changes in gluten properties as a result of the first step of the fractionation process. For the reconstituted samples, starch interaction behavior was not changed after surface protein or surface lipid removal. Starch surface properties thus do not influence the starch interaction behavior, indicating that starch-gluten interaction in raw (uncooked) pasta is mainly due to physical inclusion. All reconstituted pasta samples also had generally the same cooking quality. It was concluded that the small changes in starch gelatinization behavior, caused by the above-mentioned starch modifications, are of little importance for pasta quality.

Progression in MCF-7 breast cancer cell tumorigenicity: compared effect of FGF-3 and FGF-4

The transforming properties of fibroblast growth factor 3 (FGF-3) were investigated in MCF7 breast cancer cells and compared to those of FGF-4, a known oncogenic product. The short form of fgf-3 and the fgf-4 sequences were each introduced with retroviral vectors and the proteins were only detected in the cytoplasm of the infected cells, as expected. In vitro, cells producing FGF-3 (MCF7.fgf-3) and FGF-4 (MCF7.fgf-4) displayed an amount of estrogen receptors decreased to around 45% of the control value. However, MCF7.fgf-3 cell proliferation remained responsive to estradiol supply. The sensitivity of the MCF7.fgf-4 cells, if existant, was masked by the important mitogenic action exerted by FGF-4. In vivo, the MCF7.fgf-3 and MCF7.fgf-4 cells gave rise to tumors under conditions in which the control cells were not tumorigenic. Supplementing the mice with estrogen had the paradoxical effect of totally suppressing the start of the FGF-3 as well as the FGF-4 tumors. Tumorigenicity in the presence of matrigel was similar for MCF7.fgf-3 and control cells and was increased by estrogen supplementation. Once started, the MCF7.fgf-4 tumors grew with a characteristic high rate. Remarkably, FGF-4 but not FGF-3, stimulated the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165) without altering the steady-state level of its mRNA, suggesting a possible regulation of VEGF synthesis at the translational level in MCF7 cells. The increased VEGF secretion is probably involved in the more aggressive phenotype of the MCF7.fgf-4 cells while a decreased dependence upon micro-environmental factors might be part of the increased tumorigenic potential of the MCF7.fgf-3 cells.

Expression and modulation of homeobox genes from cluster B in endothelial cells

Angiogenesis is a complex phenomenon likely to be under the strict control of a group of transcription factor(s). Homeobox (HOX)-containing proteins have been identified as regulators controlling the coordinated expression of genes involved in organ development and tissue differentiation. In this study, we have demonstrated that human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) express 8 of the 10 HOX genes contained in cluster B. Treatment of HUVEC with tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), an agent known to induce morphologic changes in endothelial cells, or vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF), a proliferative and angiogenesis inducer, results in a specific time-dependent modulation of the eight HOX genes identified. Interestingly, neither basic fibroblast growth factor, an endothelial proliferative agent, nor TNP-470, a fumagillin derivative with potent antiendothelial cell proliferation properties, affected expression of these HOX genes. Specific modulation of HOX genes by differentiating agents but not by proliferative or antiproliferative molecules suggests that they could be involved in the control of the genetic program that coordinates the construction of new blood vessels.

Purification, characterization, and nucleotide sequence of the thermolabile alpha-amylase from the antarctic psychrotroph Alteromonas haloplanctis A23

The alpha-amylase excreted by the antarctic bacterium Alteromonas haloplanctis was purified and the corresponding amy gene was cloned and sequenced. N- and C-terminal amino acid sequencing were used to establish the primary structure of the mature A. haloplanctis alpha-amylase which is composed of 453 amino acids with a predicted Mr of 49,340 and a pI of 5.5. Three Ca2+ ions are bound per molecule and its activity is modulated by chloride ions. Within the four consensus sequences, Asp-174, Glu-200, and Asp-264 are the proposed catalytic residues. The psychrotrophic A. haloplanctis alpha-amylase is characterized by a high amylolytic activity at low temperatures, a reduced apparent optimal temperature, and typical thermodynamic activation parameters A. haloplanctis alpha-amylase has also a low thermal stability as demonstrated by the temperature effect on both activity and secondary structure. It is suggested that structure flexibility and lower sensitivity of secondary structure to temperature variations in the low temperature range are the main structural adaptations of the psychrotrophic enzyme. The unusual stacking of small amino acids around the catalytic residues is proposed as a factor inducing active site flexibility and concomitant high activity of the enzyme at low temperatures.

Evaluation of recombinant porcine somatotropin on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and muscle biochemical properties of Belgian Landrace pigs

The dose related effects of recombinant porcine somatotropin (rpST) on growth, carcass characteristics, muscle properties, and meat quality were investigated in lean Belgian Landrace finishing pigs. Ninety-six pigs (48 barrows and 48 gilts) were injected daily with either vehicle, 1.5, 3, or 6 mg of rpST from 60 to 97.5 kg live weight. Each treatment group consisted of six pens of four pigs each (two of each sex). Pigs were given ad libitum access to a high-protein (20.4% CP) cereal-based diet. Administration of rpST increased (P less than .05) growth rate (16.3 to 25.4%) and improved (P less than .05) feed efficiency (16.9 to 29.4%). Feed consumption was reduced (12%; P less than .05) only in the 6 mg of rpST group. Liver, kidney, and heart weights were increased (P less than .05) in the 3 and 6 mg of rpST groups. Although the Belgian Landrace pigs are bred for superior carcass quality, rpST further improved (P less than .05) carcass composition at all dose levels as evidenced by a reduction (10 to 50%) in a number of subcutaneous fat depth measurements, an increase (10 to 20%) in longissimus muscle area, and an improvement in the lean cut:fat cut ratio. Rate of pH decline in the gluteus and longissimus muscles was similar, but rapid, in all groups (pH after 30 min = 5.74 to 5.94); the ultimate (24 or 72 h) pH was .15 to .2 pH units higher (P less than .05) in the pigs that received the 3 and 6 mg of rpST doses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)