Development of Moringa Oleifera LAM. seedlings in different substrates / Desenvolvimento de mudas de Moringa Oleifera LAM. em diferentes substratos

Moringa oleifera Lam., known as moringa, is an arboreal plant belonging to the Moringacea e family, native to India, and has a high capacity to adapt to climatic conditions and arid soils. In this study we evaluated the initial development of seedlings of M. oleifera Lam. under different substrates conditions. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, consisting of eight treatments resulting from combinations of the base substrate (85% soil, 3% carbonized rice straw and 12% coconut fiber). At 60 days after sowing, plant height, stem diameter, dry mass of the aerial part and root system, total dry mass were evaluated, in addition to the Dickson quality index (IQD). The best seedling growth occurred using the combination of 20% poultry litter and 10% bovine manure. Seedlings produced with substrates formulated with 20% poultry litter and 10% bovine manure showed gains in the evaluated variables, which could be a viable alternative for the production of moringa seedlings.

A Moringa oleífera Lam. Conhecida popularmente como moringa,é uma planta arbórea pertencente à família Moringaceae, nativa da Índia que apresenta elevada capacidade de adaptação a condições climáticas e a solos áridos. Objetivou-se com este estudo, avaliar o desenvolvimento inicial de mudas de M. oleífera Lama partir do uso de diferentes substratos. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, composto por oito tratamentos, resultado das combinações do substrato base (85% de solo, 3% de palha de arroz carbonizada e 12%de fibra de coco). Aos 60 dias após a semeadura, avaliou-se altura da planta, diâmetro do colo, massa seca da parte aérea e do sistema radicular, massa seca total, além do índice de qualidade de Dickson (IQD).Foram encontradas as melhores variáveis, para crescimento das mudas, na combinação de 20% de cama de aviárioe10% de esterco bovino. As mudas produzidas com substratos formulados com cama de aviário20% e esterco bovino 10% apresentaram ganhos nas variáveis avaliadas, podendo ser uma alternativa viável para a produção de mudas de moringa.

Development of Moringa Oleifera LAM. seedlings in different substrates / Desenvolvimento de mudas de Moringa Oleifera LAM. em diferentes substratos

Moringa oleifera Lam., known as moringa, is an arboreal plant belonging to the Moringacea e family, native to India, and has a high capacity to adapt to climatic conditions and arid soils. In this study we evaluated the initial development of seedlings of M. oleifera Lam. under different substrates conditions. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, consisting of eight treatments resulting from combinations of the base substrate (85% soil, 3% carbonized rice straw and 12% coconut fiber). At 60 days after sowing, plant height, stem diameter, dry mass of the aerial part and root system, total dry mass were evaluated, in addition to the Dickson quality index (IQD). The best seedling growth occurred using the combination of 20% poultry litter and 10% bovine manure. Seedlings produced with substrates formulated with 20% poultry litter and 10% bovine manure showed gains in the evaluated variables, which could be a viable alternative for the production of moringa seedlings.(AU)

A Moringa oleífera Lam. Conhecida popularmente como moringa,é uma planta arbórea pertencente à família Moringaceae, nativa da Índia que apresenta elevada capacidade de adaptação a condições climáticas e a solos áridos. Objetivou-se com este estudo, avaliar o desenvolvimento inicial de mudas de M. oleífera Lama partir do uso de diferentes substratos. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, composto por oito tratamentos, resultado das combinações do substrato base (85% de solo, 3% de palha de arroz carbonizada e 12%de fibra de coco). Aos 60 dias após a semeadura, avaliou-se altura da planta, diâmetro do colo, massa seca da parte aérea e do sistema radicular, massa seca total, além do índice de qualidade de Dickson (IQD).Foram encontradas as melhores variáveis, para crescimento das mudas, na combinação de 20% de cama de aviárioe10% de esterco bovino. As mudas produzidas com substratos formulados com cama de aviário20% e esterco bovino 10% apresentaram ganhos nas variáveis avaliadas, podendo ser uma alternativa viável para a produção de mudas de moringa.(AU)

Long-term, low-dose, intravenous vitamin C leads to plasma calcium oxalate supersaturation in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Ascorbate supplementation for patients on regular dialysis treatment (RDT) is advised to obviate deficiency and improve epoetin response in those with functional iron deficiency. However, clear-cut safety concerns regarding hyperoxalemia are still poorly understood. This study tries to establish safety/efficacy profiles of ascorbate and oxalate during long-term intravenous ascorbate supplementation. METHODS: A prospective study was performed in 30 patients on RDT showing ascorbate deficiency (plasma ascorbate < 2.6 mg/L [<15 micromol/L]): 18 patients were administered intravenous ascorbate during 18 months (250 mg/wk, subsequently increased to 500 mg), and 12 patients were taken as reference untreated cases. Plasma ascorbate and oxalate assays and dialytic balance determinations were performed (ion chromatography and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively) at baseline, during treatment, and 12 months after withdrawal. RESULTS: Plasma ascorbate levels increased dose dependently with supplementation (1.6 +/- 0.8 mg/L [9.1 +/- 4.6 mumol/L] at baseline, 2.8 +/- 1.8 mg/L [15.9 +/- 10.1 micromol/L]) with 250 mg of ascorbate, and 6.6 +/- 2.8 mg/L [37.5 +/- 16.0 micromol/L] with 500 mg/wk of ascorbate), but only normalized with greater dosages for several months in 94% of patients. Baseline plasma oxalate levels increased from 3.2 +/- 0.8 mg/L (35.8 +/- 8.8 micromol/L) to 3.6 +/- 0.8 mg/L (39.5 +/- 9.1 micromol/L) and 4.5 +/- 0.9 mg/L (50.3 +/- 10.4 micromol/L) with 250 and 500 mg, respectively ( P < 0.001). The calcium oxalate saturation threshold was exceeded by 7 of 18 patients (40%) during 6 months therapy with 500 mg/wk. Ascorbate dialysis removal increased from 37.8 +/- 23.2 mg (215 +/- 132 micromol) to 99.6 +/- 51.7 mg (566 +/- 294 micromol) during supplementation (P < 0.001), with corresponding increases in oxalate removal from 82.5 +/- 33.2 mg (917 +/- 369 micromol) to 111.2 +/- 32.6 mg/L (1,236 +/- 362 micromol; P < 0.01). Withdrawal reverted plasma levels and dialysis removal to initial values. Values for untreated patients did not change during 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Patients on RDT may resolve ascorbate deficiency with intravenous supplementation of 500 mg/wk, but this implies a significant risk for oxalate supersaturation. Oxalate measurements are strongly recommended during long-term ascorbate therapy.

4-Hydroxynonenal is markedly higher in patients on a standard long-term home parenteral nutrition.

Parenteral nutrition, a commonly used procedure in patients with gastrointestinal disorders, may lead with time to liver steatosis and fibrosis, whose pathogenesis has yet to be elucidated. Oxidative stress and particularly lipid peroxidation likely contribute to the expression of such hepatobiliary complications, by means of their recognized proinflammatory and profibrogenic effects. To evaluate the adequacy against oxidative insult of a standard micronutrient supplementation in patients under long term parenteral nutrition, a comprehensive patterns of redox indices has been determined on peripheral blood samples from forty one adults in comparison to fifty eight blood donors taken as controls. A sustained oxidative stress in peripheral blood of home parenteral patients was observed. Of the two lipid peroxidation markers found to be markedly increased, namely fluorescent plasma protein adducts with malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal, respectively, only the second was statistically correlated with all the antioxidant-related changes consistently detected in the patients, namely decreased plasma alpha-tocopherol and selenium intake and higher erythrocyte oxidized glutathione. Plasma level of 4-hydroxynonenal-protein adducts appears to be a reliable and easily measurable marker of oxidative status, particularly indicated to monitor the adequacy of dietary regimen during parenteral nutrition.

Efficacy of antioxidant treatment in reducing resistin serum levels: a randomized study.

OBJECTIVES: Few in vitro studies have examined the participation of resistin, a recently discovered adipokine, in oxidative processes. We investigated whether in vivo treatment with the antioxidant vitamin C might affect resistin serum levels. DESIGN: Randomized prospective open trial. SETTING: San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Turin, Italy. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty healthy individuals. INTERVENTION: Administration of 2 g of ascorbic acid orally for 2 wk (n = 40; experimental group) or no supplementation (n = 40; control group). OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end point was the between-group difference in the before-after change in resistin serum level after vitamin C supplementation. Secondary endpoints were the within- and between-group changes in glucose, insulin, lipid parameters, C-reactive protein fasting values, and markers of oxidative stress. RESULTS: In the experimental group, vitamin C supplementation was significantly associated with both resistin concentration reduction (from 4.3 +/- 1.5 to 2.9 +/- 0.8 ng/ml; 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.87, -1.03) and ascorbic acid level increase (from 9.4 +/- 2.9 to 19.0 +/- 5.2 mg/l; 95% CI 7.9, 11.2). In the control group, resistin levels did not change significantly (from 4.2 +/- 1.0 to 4.3 +/- 0.9 ng/ml; 95% CI -0.07, 0.37). The between-group differences were highly significant (p < 0.001). Vitamin C supplementation was also associated with a statistically significant reduction in nitrotyrosine level and incremental increase in reduced glutathione. In a linear regression model, within-individual changes in vitamin C concentrations were inversely correlated with changes in resistin levels in both groups (each unit increase of vitamin C corresponded to a decrease of about 0.10 units of resistin levels (95% CI 0.13, 0.08; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This is to our knowledge the first randomized trial in humans that has demonstrated that short-term vitamin C supplementation could significantly reduce resistin levels, independent of changes in inflammatory or metabolic variables. Future investigations of resistin participation in oxidative processes are warranted.