Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária | The present study aims to evaluate the prevalence of iron storage disease in captive ringtailed lemurs’ populations housed in different zoological parks in Portugal and relate it to the different diet regimens. Eighteen animals were admitted to this study and then subdivided into three different groups, according to their zoological institution. Blood transferrin saturation level was measured for each animal. The diet given at each park was also analyzed and then related to the obtained transferrin saturation values. It was verified that transferrin saturation value is high in 89% of the animals and the mean was higher than 55% (above the reference range) in all groups. Despite the small sample size, it was evident that there is a high prevalence of iron storage disease in captive ring-tailed lemurs, which seems to be strongly related to the captive diet offered in zoological institutions. | RESUMO - Prevalência de iron storage disease em lémures de cauda anelada mantidos em cativeiro - O presente estudo tem como objectivo determinar a prevalência de iron storage disease em lémures de cauda anelada mantidos em condições de cativeiro e relacioná-la com a dieta fornecida aos lémures em diferentes parques zoológicos, em Portugal. Para a realização do estudo, reuniu-se uma amostra de dezoito indivíduos divididos em três grupos, conforme o parque de onde provinham. Procedeu-se à colheita de sangue de cada animal com posterior análise da saturação de transferrina. Foi também analisada a dieta à qual os lémures são sujeitos em cada parque, relacionando-a mais tarde com os níveis de saturação de transferrina obtidos. Foi constatado que o nível de saturação de transferrina dos indivíduos analisados é elevado em 89% dos animais, encontrando-se acima de 55% (valor máximo do intervalo de referência) em todos os grupos. Apesar da reduzida amostra deste estudo, existe uma forte evidência da elevada prevalência de iron storage disease nos lémures de cauda anelada mantidos em cativeiro, o que parece estar fortemente relacionada com a dieta oferecida a esses animais nos respectivos parques zoológicos. | N/A

Degradation of harvested tubers due to water loss, sprouting, and disease can cause severe economic difficulties in the cultivation of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). This study evaluated the storage losses of new varieties of potato and determined the sprouting dates of potatoes stored at different temperatures. Additionally, this study evaluated the influence of weather conditions during the vegetative growth period on the date of sprouting in storage. After storage at three different temperatures (3, 5, and 8 °C), we estimated natural losses and losses caused by sprouting or the development of disease. The potato varieties stored at 3 °C, and 5 °C had similar weight losses (8.8% and 9.3%, respectively), but the potatoes stored at 8 °C had higher losses (10.8%). The average potato losses caused by disease ranged from 0.6% to 10%. The onset of sprouting of potatoes stored at 8 °C depended on the variety and began in the 20 day of December. Storage at 5 °C delayed sprouting by about 50 days compared with storage at 8 °C. Weather conditions (hot and rainy) during vegetative growth of the plants also influenced sprouting date, natural losses, and the amount of disease during storage. Our data showed a significant correlation between the hydrothermal coefficient during the vegetative period and the date of sprouting of potatoes during storage.

Understanding the mechanisms behind amyloid protein aggregation in diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, is often hampered by the reproducibility of in vitro assays. Yet, understanding the basic mechanisms of protein misfolding is essential for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. We show here, that for the amyloid protein α-synuclein (aSyn), a protein involved in Parkinson’s disease (PD), chromatographic buffers and storage conditions can significantly interfere with the overall structure of the protein and thus affect protein aggregation kinetics. We apply several biophysical and biochemical methods, including size exclusion chromatography (SEC), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), to characterize the high molecular weight conformers formed during protein purification and storage. We further apply hydrogen/deuterium-exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) to characterize the monomeric form of aSyn and reveal a thus far unknown structural component of aSyn at the C-terminus of the protein. Furthermore, lyophilizing the protein greatly affected the overall structure of this monomeric conformer. We conclude from this study that structural polymorphism may occur under different storage conditions, but knowing the structure of the majority of the protein at the start of each experiment, as well as the factors that may influence it, may pave the way to an improved understanding of the mechanism leading to aSyn pathology in PD.

Anthracnose disease caused by fungal pathogen Colletotrichum capsici is considered to be one of the most destructive diseases in chilli cultivation as it infects and leads to complete destruction of the crop by infecting the mature fruit in the field and/or during the storage period. The management of the disease is difficult due to the absence of any resistant cultivar and effective fungicide. The current study was initiated to evaluate the antifungal efficacy of the biosurfactant produced by strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa JS29 for biological control of anthracnose disease. The results revealed significant disease reduction using biosurfactant in plant assay which were challenge-inoculated with the fungal spore. In vitro experiments clearly showed that the biosurfactant can effectively inhibit the growth of both spore and mycelia of the pathogen. Moreover, the biosurfactant can also effectively inhibit the fungal growth in detached-fruit assay in different storage conditions. The study confirmed that the biosurfactant has tremendous potential to become a viable, cost-effective and environment-friendly alternative for managing anthracnose disease in field and in post-harvest storage condition.

This research aimed to investigate the effect of carbon dioxide micro-bubbles (CO(2)-MBs) in combination with chlorine dioxide (ClO(2)) solution to reduce disease incidence and peel browning of rambutan fruit. Rambutan fruits were dipped in water (control), CO(2)-MBs, 3 ppm of chlorine dioxide (ClO(2)) and CO(2)-MBs combined with 3 ppm of ClO(2) solution for 5 min and then stored at 13°C for 12 days. Fruits dipped in CO(2)-MBs or 3 ppm of chlorine dioxide showed a lower weight loss during storage. Control fruit started to exhibit disease symptoms after 3 days of storage. CO(2)-MBs treatment combined with 3 ppm of ClO(2) was the most effective to delay and reduce disease severity of rambutan fruits until 9 days of storage. In addition, CO(2)-MBs combined with 3 ppm of ClO(2) also reduces the browning symptoms of peel by inhibiting the total phenol accumulation, polyphenol oxidase activity and quinone. These results indicated that and CO(2)-MBs combined with 3 ppm of ClO(2) was an effective treatment to control the postharvest disease and maintain the quality of rambutan fruit during storage.

The study of biological agents in controlling plant disease has discovered many potential microbes with various mode of actions. In the end, these potential microorganism should qualifiedly fulfill several requirements before they are formally stated for commercialization and wider implementation. Evaluations on their physico-chemical characteristics and viabililty after certain storage period were needed to ensure the effectiveness of the product during transportation and commercialization process. The research was aimed to evaluate B. subtilis strains B7 and B30 for their physio-chemical characteristic and viability after six months storage and investigate the efficacy of the strains against soft root disease of Phalaenopsis. The results showed that both antagonists had stable perfomances in physico-chemical, viability and efficacy evaluations after six months storage. The existence of active bacteria was demonstrated from the decrease in pH, murky suspensions and foul smelling as indications of fermentative reactions under optimal and minimal nutrients. Both antagonists showed stable viability after storage and effectively inhibited soft rot disease when applied on the infected plants with slightly lesser supression from streptomycin sulphate.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of ethylene absorber (EA) on postharvest life of banana stored at 20 and 14°C, respectively, at 95% relative humidity. Bananas were stored with sachets of commercially available product named Ethyl Stopper: EA containing KMnO(4) on an inert substrate (Bioconservacion S.A., Spain). EA could delay the senescence of banana by reducing the ethylene concentration in the storage chambers. The use of EA reduced the weight loss of banana by 2% compared to the control samples. Moreover, samples stored with EA at 14°C showed less disease severity than other treatments after 16 days of storage. No chilling injury was observed throughout storage at 14°C. The combination of cold temperature and EA delayed the yellowing of banana and disease development in comparison with the other treatments during 16 days of storage. Results presented a potential of using EA during storage of banana.

Background The importance of circulating antibodies as biomarkers of kidney disease has recently been recognized. However, no study has systematically described the methodology of sample preparation and storage regarding antibodies as biomarkers of kidney disease. It remains unknown whether repetitive freeze-thaw cycles, physical disturbances, storage at different temperatures or for different periods of time, or haemolytic or turbid serum samples affect antibody measurements. The aim of this study was to investigate the stabilities of antibodies associated with kidney disease in serum samples under various relevant clinical and research conditions. Methods We stored serum samples in the following different conditions: repetitive freeze-thaw cycles (1, 6 or 12 times), long-term storage (7 or 12 months at −80 °C), physical disturbance (1 or 8 h), and storage at 4 °C (1, 3 or 6 weeks) and room temperature (1 or 7 days). The stabilities of the anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (anti-PLA2R), anti-glomerular basement membrane, anti-myeloperoxidase and anti-proteinase 3 antibodies were evaluated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Results We found that repetitive freeze-thaw cycles did not have a significant effect on the stabilities of the abovementioned antibodies in clear serum samples. The ELISA readings of haemolytic and turbid serum samples tended to increase and decrease, respectively. Neither long-term storage at −80 °C nor physical disturbance had a significant effect on anti-PLA2R antibody stability in sealed serum samples. The concentrations of most of these antibodies increased in unsealed serum samples that were stored at 4 °C for more than 6 weeks or at room temperature for more than 7 days. Discussion Our findings revealed that the abovementioned circulating antibodies that are used as biomarkers for kidney disease had stable physicochemical properties, structures and immunoreactivities such that they were not influenced by repetitive freeze-thaw cycles, physical disturbances or long-term storage at −80 °C. However, the ELISA readings tended to change for haemolytic, turbid and unsealed serum samples.