Search results for "Compounds"
showing 10 items of 3372 documents
Floral scent in Iris planifolia (Iridaceae) suggests food reward
2018
Iris species can adopt different pollination strategies to attract their pollinators, generalized shelter-mimicking, specialized deceptive sexual-mimicking or food-rewarding. As attractive stimuli, Iris flowers may use their colours, large-size, symmetry, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, relatively few studies in- vestigated Iris floral olfactory cues in the context of plant-visitor/pollinator interactions. In the present study we combined the identification of the floral volatiles of the nectariferous I. planifolia with insects visiting its flowers to gather data on its biology. Floral volatiles were collected in the natural environment by dynamic headspace and analysed by g…
Volatile unsaturated hydrocarbons emitted by seedlings of Brassica species provide host location cues to Bagrada hilaris
2018
Bagrada hilaris Burmeister, is a stink bug native to Asia and Africa and invasive in the United States, Mexico, and more recently, South America. This species can cause serious damage to various vegetable crops in the genus Brassica, with seedlings being particularly susceptible to B. hilaris feeding activity. In this study, the role of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by seedlings of three Brassica species on the host preference of B. hilaris was evaluated. In dual choice arena and olfactometer bioassays, adult painted bugs preferred B. oleracea var. botrytis and B. napus over B. carinata. Volatiles from B. oleracea seedlings were collected and bioassayed with B. hilaris adults an…
Geographical trends in the yolk carotenoid composition of the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca).
2010
Carotenoids in the egg yolks of birds are considered to be important antioxidants and immune stimulants during the rapid growth of embryos. Yolk carotenoid composition is strongly affected by the carotenoid composition of the female’s diet at the time of egg formation. Spatial and temporal differences in carotenoid availability may thus be reflected in yolk concentrations. To assess whether yolk carotenoid concentrations or carotenoid profiles show any large-scale geographical trends or differences among habitats, we collected yolk samples from 16 European populations of the pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca. We found that the concentrations and proportions of lutein and some other xantho…
Do carotenoid-based sexual traits signal the availability of non-pigmentary antioxidants?
2006
SUMMARY Carotenoid-based signals are thought to be indicators of male quality because they must be obtained from the diet and might thus indicate the ability of individuals to gather high-quality food. However, carotenoids are also known to have important physiological functions as immunoenhancers and antioxidants, and, as such, carotenoid-based sexual traits have also been suggested to reflect the health and antioxidant status of their bearers. This last idea is based on the hypothesis that carotenoids that are allocated to sexual signals are no longer available for the detoxification system. Recently, this hypothesis has been challenged on the grounds that the antioxidant activity is not …
Does interindividual variability of saliva affect the release and metabolization of aroma compounds ex vivo? The particular case of elderly suffering…
2019
The aim of this work was to study the effects of interindividual variability of human elderly saliva on aroma release and metabolization by ex vivo approaches. Thirty individuals suffering or not from hyposalivation were selected from a panel formed by 110 elderly people (aged >65 years old) that were matched by age and sex. Then, their stimulated saliva samples were independently incubated in presence of three aroma compounds (ethyl hexanoate, octanal, 2-nonanone) to perform headspace-gas chromatography and liquid/liquid extraction-gas chromatography mass spectrometry analyses. These assays revealed that the extent of saliva effect on the release and metabolization of aroma compounds was h…
Biochemical characterization of cassiopea andromeda (Forsskål, 1775), another red sea jellyfish in the western mediterranean sea
2021
Increasing frequency of native jellyfish proliferations and massive appearance of non-indigenous jellyfish species recently concur to impact Mediterranean coastal ecosystems and human activities at sea. Nonetheless, jellyfish biomass may represent an exploitable novel resource to coastal communities, with reference to its potential use in the pharmaceutical, nutritional, and nutraceutical Blue Growth sectors. The zooxanthellate jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda, Forsskål, 1775 (Cnidaria, Rhizostomeae) entered the Levant Sea through the Suez Canal and spread towards the Western Mediterranean to reach Malta, Tunisia, and recently also the Italian coasts. Here we report on the biochemical characte…
Ecological function of phenolic compounds from mediterranean fucoid algae and seagrasses: An overview on the genus Cystoseira sensu lato and Posidoni…
2020
Biodiversity is undergoing rapid and worrying changes, partially driven by anthropogenic activities. Human impacts and climate change (e.g., increasing temperature and ocean acidification), which act at different spatial scales, represent the most serious threats to biodiversity and ecosystem structure and function. In the Mediterranean Sea, complex systems such as fucoid algae and seagrasses, characterized by a high associated biodiversity, are regularly exposed to natural and anthropogenic pressures. These systems, particularly sensitive to a variety of stressors, evolved several physiological and biochemical traits as a response to the different pressures which they are subjected to. For…
Environmental factors influencing the spatio-temporal distribution of Carybdea marsupialis (Lineo, 1978, Cubozoa) in South-Western Mediterranean coas…
2017
21 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, supporting information 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s001, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s002, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s003, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s004, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s005, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s006
Plasma membrane sterol complexation, generated by filipin, triggers signaling responses in tobacco cells
2010
International audience; The effects of changes in plasma membrane (PM) sterol lateral organization and availability on the control of signaling pathways have been reported in various animal systems, but rarely assessed in plant cells. In the present study, the pentaene macrolide antibiotic filipin III, commonly used in animal systems as a sterol sequestrating agent, was applied to tobacco cells. We show that filipin can be used at a non-lethal concentration that still allows an homogeneous labeling of the plasma membrane and the formation of filipin-sterol complexes at the ultrastructural level. This filipin concentration triggers a rapid and transient NADPH oxidase-dependent production of …
Iodine Biofortification Counters Micronutrient Deficiency and Improve Functional Quality of Open Field Grown Curly Endive
2021
Human iodine (I) shortage disorders are documented as an imperative world-wide health issue for a great number of people. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends I consumption through ingestion of seafood and biofortified food such as vegetables. The current work was carried out to appraise the effects of different I concentrations (0, 50, 250, and 500 mg L−1), supplied via foliar spray on curly endive grown in the fall or spring–summer season. Head fresh weight, stem diameter, head height, and soluble solid content (SSC) were negatively correlated to I dosage. The highest head dry matter content was recorded in plants supplied with 250 mg I L−1, both in the fall and spring–summer se…