Exposure to toxic and essential trace elements through the intake of processed and meat cuts (beef and chicken) in southeastern Brazil.

The present study evaluated the concentration of six trace elements in processed meat products and in meat cuts. We also assessed the risk associated with the consumption of these foods based on the estimated daily intake (EDI) of these elements. Fifty-eight processed meat and 148 meat cuts samples were analyzed using ICP-OES.

Genes from Common Bean ( L.) Show Broad to Specific Abiotic Stress Responses and Distinct Levels of Nucleotide Diversity.

We analyzed the nucleotide variability and the expression profile of genes from common bean, a crop of high economic and nutritional value throughout the world but constantly affected by abiotic stresses in cultivation areas. As genes have been constantly associated with abiotic stress tolerance, we systematically categorized 54 putative genes distributed in the common bean genome. It involved from AP2 domain location and amino acid conservation analysis (valine at the 14 position) to the identification of conserved motifs within peptide sequences representing six subgroups (A-1 to A-6) of PvDREB proteins.

Risk of exposure to total and inorganic arsenic by meat intake among different age groups from Brazil: a probabilistic assessment.

Beef and poultry as well as cattle and chicken livers are staple food items for Brazilian population, and previous studies had detected arsenic levels in these foods. This study aims to evaluate the risk of exposure to total and inorganic arsenic by meat intake in three age groups from Brazil (11-16, 16-21, and > 21 years). Our hypotheses are (i) that there is differences in the risk of exposure between age groups and (ii) the older individuals (> 21 years) are under higher risk.

Genome-wide characterization of the NRAMP gene family in Phaseolus vulgaris provides insights into functional implications during common bean development.

Transporter proteins play an essential role in the uptake, trafficking and storage of metals in plant tissues. The Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage Protein (NRAMP) family plays an essential role in divalent metal transport. We conducted bioinformatics approaches to identify seven NRAMP genes in the Phaseolus vulgaris genome, investigated their phylogenetic relation, and performed transmembrane domain and gene/protein structure analyses.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Leads to Differential Regulation of Drought-Responsive Genes in Tissue-Specific Root Cells of Common Bean.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization in plants promotes both local and systemic changes in the gene expression profiles of the host that might be relevant for drought-stress perception and response. Drought-tolerant common bean plants (cv. BAT 477), colonized by a mixture of AMF (, , and ), were exposed to a water deprivation regime of 96 h during pre-flowering.