Elemental composition, total fatty acids, soluble sugar content and essential oils of flowers and leaves of Moringa oleifera cultivated in Southern Portugal.

The evaluation of the elemental content of moringa leaves and flowers by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry revealed that the leaves are a good source of some macro (Ca and K) and micronutrients (Mn) beyond the presence of important polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), essential in human nutrition. Total soluble sugars prevail in the flowers which may be linked to insect attraction and the pollination process. M. oleifera leaves, flowers and seeds essential oils (EOs) were isolated by hydrodistillation. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS) showed EOs dominated by alkanes and fatty acids in diverse ratios in the analyzed plant parts. The nutritional characterization of M. oleifera cultivated in Portugal showed some important nutrients to human physiology. Further studies will allow determining if its consumption may overcome the nutritional imbalances of daily modern households, preventing the emergence of hypertension and diabetes.

Renal function in adult rats subjected to prenatal dexamethasone.

1. Prenatal dexamethasone leads to low birth weight and compromises organogenesis, but its effects on nephrogenesis in male and female rats have not yet been investigated extensively. Reduced renal mass may be responsible for hypertension and renal haemodynamic and morphological adjustments to maintain the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Subsequently, these compensatory mechanisms determine glomerular sclerosis and irreversible reduction in GFR. When a high-protein diet is associated with reduced renal mass, it accelerates glomerular sclerosis and the decline in renal function. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether rats subjected to prenatal dexamethasone and a high-protein diet during growth present a premature decline in renal function. 2. The number of nephrons and renal haemodynamics were estimated in Wistar rats fed a high-protein diet (40% protein) after weaning in offspring of dams treated with either dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg per day) or its vehicle (control; physiological solution, 0.1 mL/kg per day) during gestation. 3. At 70 days of age, rat offspring were anaesthetized and prepared surgically for renal haemodynamic measurements. 4. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), renal blood flow (RBF) and GFR were measured using a blood pressure transducer, a flow probe and inulin clearance, respectively. 5. The number of nephrons was counted using the acid-maceration technique. 6. Dexamethasone during pregnancy induced a lower weight gain in the dams (65%; P < 0.0001) and a lower birth weight in both male and female offspring (14 and 13%, respectively; P < 0.01). 7. Compared with control, the number of nephrons in male rats was reduced by 13% (30 703 +/- 1262 vs 26 308 +/- 1305, respectively; P < 0.05), but was unaltered in female rats (23 197 +/- 553 vs 24 231 +/- 1009, respectively). 8. Male and female rats did not show any alteration in MAP. In addition, they did not show any alteration in renal vascular resistance, RBF, filtration fraction or GFR. 9. In conclusion, prenatally administered dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg during the entire pregnancy) induced a low birth weight. The magnitude of the reduction in nephrogenesis in male offspring from mothers treated with dexamethasone was not sufficient to alter renal function (measured at 70 days), even when rats had been fed a high-protein diet.