The Rich Evolutionary History of the Reactive Oxygen Species Metabolic Arsenal Shapes Its Mechanistic Plasticity at the Onset of Metazoan Regeneration.

Regeneration, the ability to restore body parts after injury, is widespread in metazoans; however, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in this process remain largely unknown, and its evolutionary history is consequently unresolved. Recently, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been shown in several metazoan models to be triggers of apoptosis and cell proliferation that drive regenerative success. However, it is not known whether the contribution of ROS to regeneration relies on conserved mechanisms.

Extrinsic apoptosis participates to tail regression during the metamorphosis of the chordate Ciona.

Apoptosis is a regulated cell death ubiquitous in animals defined by morphological features depending on caspases. Two regulation pathways are described, currently named the intrinsic and the extrinsic apoptosis. While intrinsic apoptosis is well studied and considered ancestral among metazoans, extrinsic apoptosis is poorly studied outside mammals.

PCR of crtNM combined with analytical biochemistry: An efficient way to identify carotenoid producing lactic acid bacteria.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) synthesize a wide variety of biochemical compounds during food fermentation. Carotenoids provide important biological functions for bacteria, and their consumption by humans has many beneficial effects. In this study, the presence of several genes involved in the production of carotenoids was determined by BLAST analysis and PCR in a collection of 156 LAB isolated from traditional amylaceous African fermented foods.

Influence of light exposure and oxidative status on the stability of vitamins A and D₃ during the storage of fortified soybean oil.

Food fortification is implemented to address vitamins A and D deficiencies in numerous countries. The stability of vitamins A and D3 was assessed during a two-month period reproducing the usual oil storage conditions before sale to consumers. Soybean oils with different oxidative status and vitamin E contents were stored in the dark, semi-dark, or exposed to natural light.

Assessment of a portable device to quantify vitamin A in fortified foods (flour, sugar, and milk) for quality control.

Background: Simple-to-use quantitative methods are needed to check the adequacy of vitamin A fortification levels.

Objective: To assess the capacity of a portable fluorometer (iCheck FLUORO) and its test kit vials (iEx Mila) to quantify retinyl palmitate in fortified milks, flours (wheat, maize), and sugar.

Methods: The portable fluorometer was assessed in a three-step procedure to determine its working range and linearity, intra-assay precision, and interperson precision.

Quantification of vitamin A in fortified rapeseed, groundnut and soya oils using a simple portable device: comparison to high performance liquid chromatography.

Vitamin A deficiency is still one of the major public health problems in least developed countries. Fortification of vegetable oils is a strategy implemented worldwide to prevent this deficiency. For a fortification program to be effective, regular monitoring is necessary to control food quality in the producing units.